Insanity Shield: Part One of the Insanity Shield Saga
by MeaningOfEight
Summary: Doctor Eggman, lost to insanity by an unknown cause, has threatened Mobius with the largest army he has ever built. For Shadow and Sonic, it is paramount that the Freedom Fighters and G.U.N. stop the Doctor once and for all. Yet, Shadow's own visions hint at another threat far greater than the Doctor's mind. First story, Shadouge, finally complete. CC is much appreciated!
1. Chapter 1: An Undercover Proposal

"Agent Shadow, you're needed in Commander Tower's office."

The loudspeaker woke me from a dreamless sleep. It wasn't that long ago since I nodded off, or at least it didn't seem like it. Every day this week there has been a mission; and in every mission, I have not succeeded. As the Ultimate Life Form, failure does not sit well with me. I attribute my exhaustion to my frustration. But I can feel today will be different. Today, G.U.N. will succeed, and I will lead them to that success.

The missions haven't been easy. Mostly gathering lost information about our newest target, Doctor Eggman... Not that he's a new G.U.N. target. His obsession with Sonic seems to be dwindling. His patterns have deviated from the norm significantly–Sonic and his friends have remained undisturbed for almost 3 months. Even the chaos emeralds are safely secured. G.U.N. possesses three of the seven, while the other four are deep within the forrest–probably with either Sonic or that echidna. No; Eggman has been acting strange lately. His desire to see the Eggman Empire has greatly exceeded his fixation on Sonic. G.U.N. spies have reported the Doctor's work has resulted in an army of robots so massive, no power source could possibly support them all. Then again, they underestimate the power of Chaos, and the Doctor's cunning. Our Chaos Emeralds are assumed to be his next objective.

Unfortunately, my failure to retrieve any information has left us with merely that, an assumption. Nothing is sure, especially since the good doctor loses sanity by the second.

I walk into the Commander's quarters. His office is lined with trophies and trinkets from past missions–something I find useless. The only trophies I keep are memories. Or ones of great value, like the emerald in my left hand.

"Shadow, good to see you get here so quickly. I hope you're eager to offset these previous missions. Our rate of success is rather low."

"Yes, Commander," I reply. I will not fail this time.

"Excellent. Anyway, let's get down to business, shall we? As you are well aware, our primary concern is Eggman and his army. The size of his robot population has increased by over twenty percent in the last six weeks. Without a Chaos Emerald, those robots have no chance to charge. Shadow, I need you to infiltrate Eggman's base and find out what he's planning. Can you do that for me, agent?"

"Sir, with all due respect, I don't think I can get past Eggman's security without his knowledge. Ever since Sonic, Rouge, and I destroyed his tower canon, he's been completely on edge with security. His new chaos detector will instantly find any disruption in chaos energy, preventing my ability to warp in using chaos control."

"Well then, Shadow, perhaps you don't need to go in undetected."

"Sorry, Sir?"

"Shadow, I want you to turn in your badge. You're going undercover for this mission. I want you to tell Eggman you have ended your employment with us, and you wish to gain power in the future Eggman Empire. That way, he will reveal his plans to you directly. Meanwhile, take this wrist recorder. I've fashioned it to look just like your inhibitor rings. This device will allow you to live stream any conversation you have with Eggman, so we can record his plans directly into our system. I also planted a location chip within the device so we can keep track of your location. That way, if you get into any danger, we can send out our best people to find you."

He handed me the gold wristband. It was light in my hand. I felt uneasy removing one of my inhibitor rings. Yet, when I placed the band on my wrist, it had a similar effect.

The plan seemed to make sense. It would give me an opportunity to prove myself to the commander. A solo mission. A dangerous one at that. A mission that would put G.U.N.'s name in the history books.

"So Shadow, what do you think?" asked Commander Tower.

"I think you're throwing him to his death."

A voice behind me spoke those words–a woman's voice. One I was very familiar with.

"Commander, sir, Shadow can't possibly do this mission alone. You're underestimating Doctor Eggman as always. If he finds out, if he even suspects Shadow is lying, he will shoot a hole through that gorgeous head."

Rouge walked in, her boots clanking against the marble. Her pink heart motif shined in the florescent lights, reflecting the pale color onto my chest. Rouge and I were partners; almost all our missions were done as a team. Although she seemed selfish at first, she proved to truly care for my protection and well-being. I knew that the day she saved me, when she took me back to her home. Even though my power may threaten the future, she stands by me, no matter what.

_Even if all the world turns against you, know that I will always remain by your side. Remember that, Shadow._

_I will._

My flashback ends with the Commander's hand slamming down onto his desk. His eyes glow with anger at Rouge.

"Miss Rouge, you know I hate it when you listen to my private conversations! Get back to your work, agent!"

"Commander, that is no way to talk to a lady," she said coyly. "Why don't you send Shadow and I together? I've worked along old Eggy's side too, if you remember."

"Rouge," I say, "I can handle it myself."

"Sure, hon. Always off trying to prove you're the ultimate." She puts her hand on my shoulder and whispers, "You're not going to take all the glory for this mission. Besides, you know I want whatever treasure Eggy's hiding in that base."

Rouge and her damn jewels.

"You'll only get in my way. Or worse, get killed."

"Now Shadow," the Commander interjected, "She has a point. I always like to keep Team Dark together when I can. You two seem to do a good job. Rouge, you're going too. I'll develop a wristband for you as well, and you two will depart first thing tomorrow! That will be all, agents. You are dismissed. Be here tomorrow at 06 hundred hours for departure to the base coordinates."

We walk out of the room. Rouge grabs my arm and intertwines it with hers.

"Well, partner. We haven't been out on a mission together, alone, in who knows how long."

I pull away from her grasp gently and say, "I meant what I said. I don't want you to come. The doctor isn't right, he isn't the same as he used to be. What if something happens to you?"

"Cut the melodrama, Shadow. You know I'm no damsel in distress. I can handle old Eggy-poo and his robot army, too." She smirked at her unintentional rhyme.

I wrap my hand around my false inhibitor ring with nerves.

"Shadow, I'm coming whether you like it or not. So, let's get some rest and I will see you bright and early tomorrow."

"Fine."

I walk back to my room. All desire to sleep has left me.

I will succeed this time, and I won't let anyone get in my way.


	2. Chapter 2: Operation: Insanity

The ground is light beneath my feet. I feel as if I'm traveling across a road of water, bending beneath my every movement with gentle submission. I'm walking in what appears to be a void, somewhere that exists beyond time and space. I can feel Chaos energy all around me, but I feel no need to tap into it.

While walking, a ray of light appears before me. It is a color unlike most on Mobius. It sways back and forth as it echoes–in an eerie, childlike voice–four words.

_The world will fall._

"Wake up, lazy-bones! It's time to get to work!"

I jolt upright, taken aback by Rouge's rude awakening. I rub my eyes, remembering the strange dream. I don't recall falling asleep, but it eventually took me. My body aches with restlessness; the dream (and my live alarm clock) had taken a lot of my energy away.

"Sorry Shadow, did I scare you?" Rouge playfully tugs at my sheets.

"No, I just wasn't expecting such a loud entrance."

"Yeah, yeah. Well you'd sleep through the apocalypse if you could help it. If I had been any quieter, we'd be here till noon."

Aggravated, I mutter, "Let's just get to work, shall we?"

I got out of bed without my usual grace. The dream really did take a lot out of me. What did it mean? I normally don't look much into dreams, after all they aren't real memories, but I couldn't get it out of my mind. And that light...It was like nothing I had ever seen before. It was fascinating, yet terrifying. I grabbed my radio chip and placed it beneath my false inhibitor ring. The clock read 5:53, meaning it was almost time to depart for Eggman's base.

Rouge and I walked into the bright lights of G.U.N.'s main hallway toward the aircraft hangar. Sensors indicated that Eggman was last seen in downtown Westopolis, a city with great significance to me. Rumor has it he has spent a small fortune on the Flux Building–a modern apartment complex long abandoned due to it's affiliation with random suicides. It was built to house the rich and famous socialites of Mobius, but within weeks all the new tenants had died of self-inflicted wounds. G.U.N. investigated the building a few years ago, before I was a part of the team. It was one of the few buildings left standing after the invasion of the Black Arms. But, they found nothing except mysterious coincidences.

Eggman's base lies in the penthouse complex of the Flux building. A surprise really, the doctor has always been rather superstitious. Another supporting factor in the argument for his madness.

We arrive at the hangar early enough to be briefed about the mission one last time before departure. Commander Tower is still dreary-eyed with sleep. However, as a military man, he nonetheless stands upright and shouts his orders over the whirring aircraft.

"Shadow, Rouge. Today marks the first day of our mission to discover Eggman's true motives for his robot army. I've dubbed it 'Operation: Insanity,' for short."

"Figures," interrupted Rouge, "One of the most involved and dangerous missions G.U.N. has ever been a part of, and it gets a stupid name like that."

"Ahem, well, I thought the name was appropriate," muttered Commander Tower.

"Sir, please continue," I say. I just want to get on with the mission.

"Yes, anyway, we will drop you off at the coordinates three clicks northeast of the base. Shadow, your objective is to find Eggman and get into the building with him. Rouge, you have a slightly different goal. I want you to slip into the building across the street and go to apartment number 452. Here is the room key."

He handed Rouge a silver key with a miniature card hanging from the attached keyring.

"The card will grant you access to the computer within the room. It's one of G.U.N.'s private city bases. From there, I want you to attempt to hack into the main network of Eggman's base and download the information onto your communicator. That way, we can hopefully retrieve the blueprints for Eggman's robots, and therefore know the best way to dismantle them. From there, go to the base. Explain to Eggman and Shadow your rehearsed script, and offer Eggman the emerald in your possession."

"You're really making this hard, Commander. Making a lady part with her jewels."

I let out a quiet laugh. Sometimes I wonder how Rouge keeps her job at G.U.N. with comments like that. Then I remember, it's Rouge. She gets away with everything.

"Commander," I say, "It won't be hard to convince Eggman of our devotion with two Chaos emeralds. My only concern is our safety once inside."

"I believe in you two," the Commander says endearingly. "You are my best agents. I trust you will make it out unscathed. However, E-123 Omega will be on standby in the building with our computer base. If you need his assistance, the button on your communicator will summon him. An entire swat will be sent if anything looks too grim."

The pilot of the helicopter waved out the window.

"That's your cue," said the Commander. "Good luck, Team Dark."

"The Ultimate Life Form needs no luck," I scoff. My confidence makes Rouge blush.

It was a two hour flight from G.U.N. headquarters to the helipad in Westopolis. Since the old G.U.N. HQ was destroyed in the Black Arms Invasion, Commander Tower thought it best to locate further from Westopolis, and closer to Soleanna. I often forget how big Mobius is until I'm looking down at it from above. I'm not a fan of flying; it makes me uneasy. I prefer Chaos Control, or motorcycles. But Commander Tower wants to make sure we are undetected. Our helicopter is disguised as a flight for life vehicle, and the helipad is the hospital's. From there, we make our way to Eggman's on foot.

I press my thumb against my false inhibitor ring, rubbing it softly. I can feel it controlling my power, but it feels much less stable than my real one. Chaos energy is something G.U.N. will never understand. No one can understand it, unless they can tap into it.

"Hey Shadow," Rouge tapped my leg gently, "Do you think Sonic would want in on the plan? I feel like he should at least know about the Robots."

"Hmmm," I ponder her question. Personally, I think the less we involve Sonic, the better. But, he could prove useful if the mission goes awry.

"Commander," I speak into my wrist. "Request permission to visit Knothole before we touchdown in Westopolis."

"Permission granted, Shadow. Sonic's previous involvement with G.U.N. has proven successful. The more allies against Eggman, the better."

I tap the pilot lightly on the shoulder. "Sir, we need to make a pit stop in Knothole forest. Drop us off at the Northern border of the trees."

"You got it, agent Shadow."

We quickly descend as I scramble back to my seat. I suddenly, but reluctantly, grab Rouge's arm for support. I hate flying.

"The Ultimate Life Form, feared by many, possibly sealed away for all eternity in the distant future... And you're afraid of flying." She laughs. I hate it when she mocks me.

"I'm not afraid of flying..." I say, unconvincingly.

"Okay, handsome. Whatever you say."

I am thankful when we touchdown. I tell the pilot to wait for us outside the borders of the forest for one hour. With Sonic, nothing takes more than five minutes, but I plan on making sure he understands the gravity of the situation.

I walk up to the trees and grab Rouge's hand.

"Since I don't like flying, we'll just warp through the forest."

"Damn it, Shadow! You know Chaos Control makes me want to––"

And we warped out of sight.


	3. Chapter 3: Rendezvous In Knothole

_Hey readers! I'm enjoying the comments (well, Super Light's comments)! They make me want to publish new chapters a lot quicker! I really appreciate the feedback and I'm glad you're liking the story so far :)_

Within seconds, my feet touch the soft grass inside Knothole forest.

Rouge's, however, buckle underneath her. She falls to the ground as I land gracefully. She'll never get used to warping; it only comes naturally to those who perform it.

"Are you alright?" I say to her. She looks rather dizzy.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I guess I understand how you feel about flying..."

"Haha, I'm sure this is worse."

I help her up as I gaze into the trees. The Freedom Fighters have been our allies for quite some time, especially against the Eggman regime. Their involvement in the affairs of Mobius are almost consistently triumphant. It's a shame their only remaining building is their headquarters, thanks to a somewhat recent bombing by the Egg Fleet. The newest addition to the HQ is a transparent defense shield, covering the entire clearing with a protective forcefield. Only those with an approved visitation can enter their home domain.

I touch the keypad on the outer border of the shield. The buttons are arranged in the shape of an acorn, color coordinated to match. I press the top button–the stem of the acorn–since it appears to resemble a telephone. After a few seconds, a familiar voice echoed from the speaker beneath the button pad.

"Well, if it isn't Shadow the Hedgehog? Long time no see!"

"Hello, Sonic," I mutter impatiently. I respect Sonic's power, but I dislike speaking to him about anything rather than business. "I have urgent business Rouge and I would like to discuss with you; It's about the Doctor."

"Well, if Rouge is here, I suppose you're welcome too," he says mockingly over the intercom.

"Hi Sonic!" Rouge playfully yells. "Can you let us in, cupcake? We don't have much time."

"Of course, my dear," Sonic says coyly.

A loud click came over the intercom, and within minutes a door appeared within the transparent wall. I placed my hand on it, and it lifted itself up. We walked in quickly as the door began to descend almost instantly.

Sonic came through the clearing, running at full speed. Watching him run always fascinates me; it's almost like an art form. After what seemed like milliseconds, my blue look-a-like stood a few feet in front of me.

"So, what's old Egg-for-brains up to this time? I haven't seen him in a while...Did he finally give up and get a real job?"

I let out a small sigh. "I'm afraid not. Sonic, the doctor isn't well."

"What do you mean? Is he, like, sick?"

"Not physically, no. Sonic, the doctor's mental stability gets more fragile by the day. He has spent the last three months working nonstop on a giant robot army–one he has no way to power. G.U.N. fears his next target will be a Chaos emerald, either one we possess or yours. He was also recently seen in downtown Westopolis, buying the Flux building."

Sonic's eyes dilate. "The Flux building? The one with all the deaths? There's no way; Eggman is way too superstitious for that! Remember all the ghosts in the pyramid base? Once he found out about those, he was out faster than you can say 'Egg-head.'"

"I know, hence why I believe his sanity has reached its breaking point."

"Look Shadow, I know old Robotnik may have a couple bats in the belfry–no offense, Rouge–but he isn't that crazy, is he?"

"I don't know. All I know is what I've observed. I haven't been able to track down any concrete evidence." My eyes drift downward, remembering my recent failures. If only I could have gotten more information, then this mess could be cleared by now.

"Well, what do you propose we do?"

I explained to Sonic what Rouge and I were up to, the plan G.U.N. had given us. I told Sonic about G.U.N.'s fear of an all out attack on HQ, either ours or the freedom fighter's, and what would happen if Eggman truly could power all those robots.

"Gee, Shadow," Sonic said after a long silence. "If what you say is true, about Eggman going crazy, it doesn't seem safe for you two to simply walk into his base."

I hesitate for a moment. "We don't really have another option. His security has increased ten-fold, and I'm not going to sit around and watch what might happen. I have to get to the bottom of this."

"Well, alright. I'll head over to Westopolis and keep an eye out. I'll bring Tails and Amy. We can keep radio contact if needed."

"Thank you, Sonic." I hold out my hand for him to shake it.

He firmly grasps my palm and laughs. "And to think, a few years ago, we were trying to kill each other."

I let out a small laugh. "Well, this is, after all, only business."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever, Shadow. We all know who's the best."

And with that, he disappeared into the distance. Rouge and I headed back towards the entrance–the door within the shield. After a few minutes of looking, we find the hidden door and I press it with my hand. It floats up, and we walk into the deep forest of Knothole once more. The trees bring back many memories, but one in particular takes control of my mind.

"_This is Rouge...I'm in trouble. I'm stuck inside of a locked safe with all the Chaos Emeralds. I... I guess I can't call my self a treasure hunter anymore."_

"_Bah, Shadow. Forget about her. Meet up with me and we'll dig the emeralds up out of the ashes."_

"Shadow? You okay?" Rouge interrupts my reverie.

"Yeah, I'm, I..." Something makes me stop talking.

In the distance, between two tall oak trees, I can see a wave of light. A light similar to the one on my dream. I raise my green Chaos emerald above my head and warp near it. Yet, when I reach the spot, it's gone.

Rouge runs up behind me. "Just what was that all about?"

"I don't know. I saw some strange light over here. Just a few seconds ago."

"Shadow, I didn't see anything. This forest messes with your head, every time we come here. Let's go; the helicopter is waiting."

She gently grasps my hand and closes her eyes. I close mine too, warping back to the helicopter. I know I wasn't seeing things–that light was definitely there. But, we had no time to lose. Our next stop was the hospital, to find Eggman and his base.


	4. Chapter 4: A Fragile Alliance

The helicopter lands abruptly on the dark red "H." I feel the vibrations of our landing pulse through my body, making my teeth grind. This whole day has made me on edge–more so than usual. The dream, the light in Knothole, flying for way too long, and the dangerous mission I'm about to begin. And Rouge... She's risking her safety too. All of this pressure is weighing deep on my shoulders.

I step out of the helicopter. It's a pretty far drop, but I land on my feet anyway. Rouge floats to the ground with ease. I signal the pilot to ascend into the sky, and he quickly does so. The hospital paramedics approach us with a stretcher and confused looks on their faces.

"Sorry, doctors. Official G.U.N. business." I brush past them, leaving more confused looks behind me.

Westopolis is a city designed for convenience. Every avenue runs north and south, while every street runs east to west. Each road that intersects on the diagonal is named, mostly after the great kings and queens of Mobius. The vertical streets are lettered, the horizontal streets are numbered. The Flux building lies between 32nd and 33rd street, on Avenue F. The entire district is filled with tall apartment complexes. In a city this big, the residential zones take up a good portion of the western side. Of course, the hospital lies a few blocks North.

"Well, Shadow. It appears this is where we part." Rouge smiles at me, then looks down at my false inhibitor ring.

"I suppose so. I'll send you a signal when I find the Doctor. I want you to head to the base about one hour after the signal."

"Gotcha. I'll rehearse my lines while I download these files."

"And Rouge..." I start to say, "Please be careful. I don't want to find you in a locked safe again or anything."

She laughs. "Well, you were there to save me that time. I'm sure you'd save me again." She winks and pats me on the head. And with that, she headed upwards–to scout out G.U.N.'s inner city computer.

I head down the avenue, slowly looking at the faces in the crowd. This city is so different since the Black Arm's invasion. Everything looks much brighter, like a more industrialized Soleanna. Even the alleys are well-lit; each building glows with a warm, golden hue. It seems like an odd place for Eggman to build a base–it's much too cheery. I think I liked Westopolis better in its darker days. But, then again, I tend to gravitate towards the dark.

In the distance, I can see the Flux building. It towers well above the other apartment complexes. The building appears to be made entirely of glass, with the exception of the steel rods which support it and the balconies outside each complex. The reflection off the tower blinds me; the morning sun is peering directly at the eastern windows.

"Hmph," I say to myself, "I guess it beats pumpkin castles and abandoned space colonies."

As I walk towards the building, I can sense someone, or something is following me. I peer over my left shoulder discreetly, but I see nothing. I think about the light in my dream and in Knothole. Am I simply paranoid? Or do I have a reason to be cautious? I look over my shoulder again, simply to see nothing suspicious once more. But once I turn my head forward, I see what exactly I was sensing.

The doctor is standing right in front of me.

"Good morning, Shadow. It's been a long time since I have seen you. What brings you to Westopolis?"

I repress a sudden gasp with difficulty. Luckily, I had been thinking about what to say should this situation arise.

"Doctor," I say, "What a pleasant surprise. You're just the man I wanted to see."

"Ahh Shadow, I'm afraid I have no time for any of your G.U.N. business. The thorn you all have put in my side irritates me to no end; today I am in no mood."

"Actually, this has nothing to do with G.U.N. I no longer serve as their puppet, Doctor. I realize what a waste of time it all was."

"Hmmm... Interesting, Shadow. Interesting. Of course, I'm sure my dear Rouge still associates herself with G.U.N. It strikes me as odd to see you two split apart, on different sides of the spectrum."

I pause. The doctor is more observant than I remembered. Of course Rouge and I would be on the same side if this situation were to be true. I decide to improvise.

"Rouge and I left on, um, unfavorable terms. I would be severely shocked to see her leave G.U.N."

The doctor gives me a slightly puzzled look. Yet, he says, "That is regrettable. I could have used a good treasure hunter for my latest project."

I feel a slight vibration on my communicator. That means Rouge has found the computer. Everything has been in our favor thus far. I hope it remains as easy-going. The fact that I found Eggman on the street is more than fortunate.

"Well, Doctor. I am thoroughly interested in said project. I'm no treasure hunter, but I believe I possess the treasure you so desperately seek."

I hold out my green Chaos emerald and watch the Doctor's eyes. They widen with great desire, focusing solely on the gem within my grasp.

"Oh Shadow, this is my lucky day! Not only has G.U.N.'s greatest asset quit, but he stands before me with a Chaos emerald! Shadow, I don't know what to say..."

I smile crookedly. "Say nothing, Doctor. All I want is an alliance; to be part of your plan. However, I know very little. All I know is that you've been planning something massive, and I want in."

"Then it is settled. I shall escort you back to my base, I will elaborate there."

With a slight giddiness, Eggman escorts me to the Flux building. I observe the tower closely, sending a silent signal to Rouge, letting her know of my location. I also press a second button on my false inhibitor ring, allowing G.U.N. to monitor our conversation. If I know the Doctor, I know he'll explain his plan in full to me. He delights in sharing every detail, a trait which has often lead to his downfall. As we approach the front entrance, Eggman turns toward me with a hesitant look on his face.

"I apologize, Shadow. But unfortunately the elevators are out of service. It costs a lot of money to power this place, and I decided I could live without the elevators. So, it will be a long ascent to the penthouse."

"No worries Doctor, I believe I have a faster way."

I grasp the Doctor's shoulder, and close my eyes.

To my surprise, nothing happens. I open my eyes, surprised by what I see. No longer do I stand in front of the Flux building, I am descending into an underground chamber–escorted by four of Eggman's robots.

"What the hell? Doctor? What is this?"

A screen pops up in front of me, revealing Eggman's face.

"Oh Shadow, how I miss our glory days. The days where we fought side by side."

"What are you talking about, Doctor? Those days have returned! I'm here to fight beside you once more!"

"No, you're not, you ungrateful little LIAR!" The Doctor's voice is not his own; it echoes with the sound of madness.

Eggman lets out a long, hardy laugh. It fluctuates in pitch with every breath, adding to the insanity. I feel a bead of sweat drip down my forehead; I've been caught.

"Oh, Shadow, Shadow, Shadow... Did you honestly think you could trick me that easily? Running into me on the streets of MY CITY? Offering up a Chaos emerald freely? No. I saw right through your little plan and now I'm going to let you in on mine. But don't worry, you'll have a chance to escape. Only after you make a choice for me."

The robot behind me makes the mistake of approaching my back. I whirl around and smash it into pieces, easily. The other three dash at me. I jump out of the way, allowing two to collide into each other. I land on top of the last one, twisting its head on end. The circuits snap, and I know I have won.

"Come on, Doctor. At least make this a challenge." I say with confidence. I can't let him know I'm nervous.

"Ooohh, you've destroyed my little Robots. Too bad there are literally MILLIONS MORE WHERE THAT CAME FROM! Oh Shadow, you cannot even grasp the immensity of my plan. My master plan; the one that will put my name in the books. The one that will make me King of Mobius, and the ruler of the Eggman Empire!"

I sigh, "Well, Doctor, why don't you tell me about it?"

He laughs again, this time with more force, and even more insanity. "You think I'm just going to spill the beans on my greatest masterpiece? You have gravely underestimated me, Shadow. I'm only going to tell you about the here and now, the choice you have to make in about 15 minutes. You'll have to decide quickly if you wish to make it out of here alive."

My spine slightly shudders.

"See Shadow, Westopolis is a huge city. Massive, really. You have to choose carefully what pieces matter most. What areas will be most devastated by an attack."

"What are you going to do?" I say quietly.

"It's simple really. I've planted bombs underneath four of the city's major avenues. You'll have to decide which ones you wish to visit and evacuate before I blow them all sky high! The odds are not exactly in your favor, but you can try. Oh, and Chaos control is useless without this..."

He places the green emerald in front of the camera. How did he get it? How did I not realize what was happening? I panic and think of Rouge; G.U.N.'s computer base is on Avenue F. Would the Doctor really place a bomb that close to his own base?

At this point, anything is possible. I have seen the full extent of the Doctor's madness.

"Let me out of here, Doctor. A lot of people are going to die because of this."

"Then let's hope you make your choices wisely. Oh, and did I mention you have less than 15 minutes?"

My shoulders spasm with rage. I instantly jump to the wall, and jump to the one across it. I quickly propel my way out of the chamber and onto the sidewalk above me. I look at the street sign. It reads "Avenue X." How did I get all the way over here?

"Damn it!" I press down hard on my communicator. "Rouge? Are you there? ROUGE?"

No answer.

"Commander, come in. This is Shadow. Did you copy all the information from my communicator?"

"Affirmative, agent. We understand the threat. I've sent an urgent message to all police SWAT within the area. We are quickly evacuating every major residential and commercial building directly on avenues A through Z. I also have a helicopter above, trying to sense where the bombs are located."

"Commander, we have 10 minutes! I'm going to look for Rouge. I can't get a hold of her on my communicator."

"Copy that, Shadow. I've also deployed E-123 Omega to help with evacuations. He is now on radio contact."

"Understood."

I speed down to the nearest numbered street. I make a hard left, and start to head towards the upper half of the alphabet. My body is pulsating with rage and fear. I need to find Rouge, and I need to get everyone out of harms way. But, how... What avenues would the doctor blow up? How could I possibly know which letters to try?

Suddenly, it occurs to me.

"Commander! Evacuate all people on avenues F, L, U, and X! Do you copy? Those streets are where the bombs are!"

"Shadow, are you sure?"

"Positive. Commander, Rouge's last known location was on Avenue F. Do you have any knowledge of her current location?"

"Her tracker indicates she is still in the G.U.N. computer base, across from the Flux buiding! Shadow, get her out of there!"

I have no time to respond, for I am already speeding towards the glass tower. Avenue S passes by me, swiftly followed by avenue R. I look towards the direction of the Flux building. I have to move quicker.

I only have 2 minutes left.

I force my legs to move faster. My air skates glide above the pavement, but I can't make myself move as fast as I need to. I scream with rage. I need to get to Rouge, or, otherwise...

"_That was so unlike you, Shadow, to come and rescue me. Luckily for us, you can manipulate Chaos Control."_

"_Hmph, you know, I really came back for the Chaos emeralds."_

"_Oh sure, Shadow. You and I both know that's not the whole story."_

"_No, its not. But, I don't know how to narrate that story for you."_

I had to be there again. I would be there again.

"I'm coming, Rouge." I say to myself.

I look at the street sign again; it reads "Avenue L." My heart stops, for the ground below me quivers with intensity. I look above me at the tall glass skyscraper, set ablaze my a massive explosion. Shards of glass and concrete fall and hit my body.

The sky darkens. The flames engulf the world around me.


	5. Chapter 5: The Wreckage

_The world will fall, engulfed in black fire. And I will watch it burn forever._

Words flow in and out, like the hot, dry air pressing against my face.

_Shadow..._

"Shadow? Oh my God, Shadow? Can you hear me? Knuckles, get a first aid kit!"

I...I recognize that voice. But, my eyes. They are so heavy. So weak...

_Shadow..._

"Sonic, he's not in good shape. It looks like the glass has wedged into his ribcage pretty deep. I, I don't know what I can do."

Suddenly I feel the pain in my side, with warm blood flowing from it. I tell my body to place my hand on my wound, but no movement comes.

"Damn it, Knuckles. What can we do? We can't move him, that will only make things worse!"

_Light can only exist in Darkness. And I will entrench this world in blackest night._

My heart begins to beat a little faster. I feel the slightest bit of strength return to my body. I direct all the energy I have to my throat, and mutter...

"Chaos...Emerald."

"Shadow! Thank God, you're alive! Here–take this!"

My hand feels a slight weight against it. The smooth glassy surface caresses my fingertips, and I feel the energy radiate through my body. The red emerald's power courses through my veins; it pushes all unwanted particles out of my skin. The shard of glass wedged in my ribs is forced outward, then the wound is sealed shut. I can feel life returning to my body. My strength has been restored, and my wounds have healed.

The power of Chaos has saved my life once again.

I slowly push the concrete off my chest and stagger to my feet. Sonic grabs my shoulder to steady me.

"Shadow, are you alright? It's a miracle we found you."

I breathe deeply, only slightly sore from my once catastrophic wound.

"I'm alright. Thanks for the emerald."

"No need to thank me," Sonic says with sincerity. "But, Shadow, you were right. Eggman has really lost it. All of this destruction, this madness..."

I suddenly remember the doctor's threat; the bombs underneath the streets.

"Sonic, what streets did Eggman attack? Which avenues?"

"It was Avenues X, L, U, and F. I saw G.U.N. vehicles evacuating all the buildings. It looks like they helped avoid a lot of casualties."

I sigh with slight relief. For once, my assumption had been correct.

"It's amazing, really," Knuckles interjected, "That Eggman would plant a bomb that close to his own base. Doesn't he see that as slightly idiotic?"

"I don't think the doctor can differentiate between chaos and order anymore," I reply.

The previous events are coming back to me. The mission, Eggman discovering my true motive, and...

"Rouge..." I whisper. "Sonic, we have to get to Avenue F. I think Rouge was still there when the explosions happened! We have to find her."

"What?" Knuckles yells. "You left Rouge alone? She was in the explosion?"

"I don't know," I sneer, "All I know is her most recent location."

My heart sinks into my feet. If something happened–something unthinkable–I would feel entirely responsible. I told her I wanted her safe, and that I would be there to save her again. But, I wasn't. I just couldn't get there fast enough...

"Shadow, we'll find her. I can't seem to find Tails or Amy either. We'll look for all of them together."

We begin to run towards Avenue F. A black cloud of smoke sits idly on the skyline–probably from the wreckage. I shudder at the thought of Rouge being caught in the fire. No, it wasn't possible. She had to be safe.

Once we reached the area I saw many familiar faces. G.U.N. swat team had arrived to search for any survivors of the explosion. Among the group was my long time associate, E-123 Omega. Omega's technology was beyond anything G.U.N. could comprehend. He seemed to be a robot with a soul; I remember when renegade robot Gamma's data was absorbed into Omega. He became more than metal that day.

"Shadow, my sensors indicate that you are distressed."

"Omega," I say, "Agent Rouge and I have been separated and her last known location was on this avenue, in the G.U.N. city computer room. Have you seen her?"

"Unfortunately I have not, Shadow. However, I do still have her locator on record. I could do a brief scan of the environment for you."

"I would appreciate it, Omega."

Omega's eyes went from dark grey to emerald green. The light from his eyes landed upon the rubble, illuminating the dust in the air. The fires that had not yet been put out glowed even brighter as Omega's gaze touched them. His head spun upon itself a few times, until his eyes faded to their normal hue. His head declined, hopefully not out of sorrow.

"Shadow... It appears Rouge's locator puts her still inside G.U.N.'s building."

"NO!" I cry.

I can feel my rage welling up inside me as I sprint towards the G.U.N. office–or at least, where it used to be. Hot tears begin to fill up my eyes, but I brush them away. I continue to glide towards the wreckage. I can see the Flux building still stands tall, except for a few broken windows. The light from my air shoes makes the glass-covered street glimmer eerily.

I dive into the concrete pile. My tears fog my vision, but I keep searching. Until I find something which makes me stop searching...

"Rouge..."

I find Rouge's communicator underneath a large slab of concrete. Her locator chip is inside the band. Strangely, the bracelet appears to be forced off. Almost as if it had been cut by a knife.

"Greetings, citizens of Westopolis. I hope you enjoyed my little, eh, fireworks show."

I whip around at the sound of Eggman's voice, only to see his face projected onto the Flux building. He is in a dark room–a prison chamber–and behind him are people with black cloth over their heads.

"There are plenty more where those came from, that is, if you don't give into my demands. You all are powerless against me; the ancient power of Chaos sits within my grasp. I will show you exactly what power I possess, NOW..."

Eggman laughs his maniacal laugh as he inserts the emerald into a slot viewable by the camera. The green emerald lights up, sending a wave of power through the room. Behind Eggman are no longer simply hostages, but thousands of pairs of red eyes. Eyes of his robot army.

"You all realize there are no beings on this earth who could defeat my ENTIRE ARMY! I order you all to surrender to the Eggman Empire, and to claim me as your master! And for those of you more rebellious types, I have another type of motivation..."

Eggman walks slowly over to the hostages and lifts off the black cloths...

I ball my hand into an angry fist as I watch.

Amy, Tails, and Rouge are trapped in Eggman's prison.

"If anyone, that means you Sonic and Shadow, tries to save any of these poor souls, I'll kill them all on camera for everyone to watch! And if I even sense a foreign Chaos signal in this base, I blow up the rest of the avenue alphabet!"

Eggman screams in laughter. I look at the screen in despair.

Sonic stands beside me and asks, "Shadow, what are we going to do?"

I turn towards him, tears which I had held back glistening in my eyes, and I say...

"We're going after them. Even if we die trying."


	6. Chapter 6: Trapped Like a Bat

_Hey All! Sorry I disappeared off the face of the earth; I had a lot going on these past few months. However, I have also had a lot of time to think about Insanity Shield and where I want the plot line to go, so I promise these next few chapters will be worth the wait! Again, thank you for being so patient, and I still love any feedback! MeaningOfEight_

_We'll start with a little review... (I find it best to read this in the really fast voice of the announcer from Sonic X) _

_LAST TIME IN THE EXCITING ADVENTURE "INSANITY SHIELD..."_

_Shadow and Rouge developed a plan to go undercover into Eggman's base, and discover the method to his madness (literally). Looking to uncover Eggman's master plan behind his robot army, our agents took to the skies and headed towards Eggman's base in Westopolis–The Flux Building. A building with a mysterious and devastating past, the towering glass skyscraper served as the Doctor's newest base. Letting Sonic in on the plan, our heroes continued onward, hoping to truly understand Eggman and his decent into insanity. Unfortunately, things did not go according to plan. After strange encounters with supernatural lights, solving a deadly puzzle of avenues, and the frantic search for lost partners, the mad doctor revealed Rouge, Tails, and Amy as hostages in an unknown prison. Unfortunately, Eggman's leverage over Sonic and Shadow seems irrefutable. Can Sonic and Shadow band together to save their friends, and all of Mobius? Or will the rest of the world plunge into the dark and terrifying depths of Eggman's mind..._

_One more piece before we get started: this chapter is told from Rouge's perspective._

The black cloth over my head makes it hard to breathe.

The musty smell of dirt, iron, and motor oil all blend together in the humid, sticky air. The sweat from my forehead makes the black sack cling tightly against my nose. I'm trapped, like a rat. I didn't even see it coming.

My hands are bound behind me with some kind of metal coil. Since my feet are dragging on the floor, it's safe to assume I'm being carried. I notice my communicator is missing; the painful bruise on my wrist suggests it has been forced off.

All of my memories are fuzzy. The last thing I remember was entering the data code into the G.U.N. city computer–looking for the entrance to Eggman's base. I was looking for, I think... Oh no.

Shadow.

_"Bah, Shadow. Forget about her. Meet up with me and we'll dig the emeralds up out of the ashes."_

_"What? No! Don't leave me here, please! I... I don't want to die."_

_"Maria, I'm coming for you. I promise, you'll be safe with me...CHAOS CON––"_

The rest of the day's memories, except for my arrival in this hell hole, come back to me after the flashback. I remember the mission, the helicopter ride, Knothole, and then the horrible explosion... I recall running into the streets, frantically calling out to him. My rescuer. But, he wasn't there.

_"––TROL!"_

_"Shadow, you're here! I...I don't know what... Thank you."_

_"Close your eyes, Maria. I've got you now."_

Suddenly, my back slams into a wall. I scream as my wings crush against the cold, damp stone. The black cloth is yanked off my head and my eyes are blinded by a glowing, orange light. It takes a while for my eyes to adjust, not to mention the pain coursing through my back is blurring my eyes with warm tears. I try to lift my left wing, but the pain is too much. I cry out again; it's broken. The hot, searing pain coursing through my blood rides into my tear ducts. Without my consent, beads of water drip from eyes in the dim light.

"Oh Rouge, darling, cheer up! I was going to break those pesky things on camera anyway. Be thankful! You saved our dear friend Shadow some agony. It would be a shame to watch the ultimate life form shrivel into pieces... HAHAHAHAHA!"

Eggman jaunts into the room with clumsy excitement. As my eyes adjust, I see the rusted iron bars in front of me, blocking any hope of running. The rest of the room is dark, except for the eerie orange light bouncing on the walls behind me. Its source was merely a dim bulb hanging from fringed copper wiring, but the lack of light anywhere else in the room made it a star among clouds.

I muster all my courage to regain my composure. "Eggy, sweetheart, you and I both know this is no way to treat a guest. Especially a lady."

The Doctor let out another laugh. "Well, you and I both know there aren't any of those around here. Only little girls, foxes, and lying thieves like you..."

"I, I don't know what you're talking about, Doctor," I mumble. I don't know if I should stick to the original plan or tell the truth.

"YES YOU DO, YOU UNGRATEFUL LITTLE BITCH! Don't talk to me like I don't know!"

His hand reached through the bars as I tried to scoot backwards. Yet, I was too late. A hard slap branded my face, adding to the pain already in my back. I look up at Eggman with disgrace; no matter how insane the doctor seemed before, he would have never slapped a woman. Not ever. This was not the same person. I could feel in my (broken) bones.

_"Bah, Shadow. Forget about her. Meet up with me and we'll dig the emeralds up out of the ashes."_

Or could he be capable of true evil?

Eggman brushed his hand on his pants and continued, "After all this time, Rouge, after all the years we've known each other... You don't think I recognize when you're lying to me? I know you and Shadow planned to come here, offering an alliance in order for information. I know the commander is, well, intimidated by my army. Well, he SHOULD be! The shadow cast by the Eggman Empire will cover all of Mobius–from Soleanna to Angel Island! I will rule this earth with an iron fist, and put the freedom fighters and G.U.N. behind iron bars. The dawn, or rather darkness, of a new age is here. And it is my job to lead it."

I carefully edge closer to the back wall of my cell. Once safely out of the Doctor's reach, the words spill out of my mouth...

"You're crazy. Shadow and Sonic will stop you, and this time there won't be any second chances, Eggman. This time, they well end you."

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I'd like to see them try. But before they do, I hope they stick around to watch their friends–their loved ones–SUFFER."

With one more hysterical laugh, Eggman sauntered out of the room, slamming the heavy steel door behind him. The light began to flicker, still leaving a somber glow upon the brick. Finally, it sparked and went out, plunging the room into total blackness.

The reality of my solitude overcame me; I could no longer hold back the tears fighting their way to my eyes. I wanted, more than anything, to be back at G.U.N. All the jewels in the world didn't mean anything anymore. Poor Tails and Amy, locked up in this hell somewhere, alone. They were both so young... Normally, I wouldn't think anything of them. I guess pain and loneliness bring out my humanity. And Sonic... He always had a way out. Now, with all the destruction, did he even make it to Westopolis? Was he caught in the explosion? No. He had to be okay. Eggman wouldn't keep us around if Sonic and Shadow weren't alive.

Shadow. He has to be alive.

Almost instantly, it seemed like the pain rushed from my wings to my chest. The only person I could call a friend in all of Mobius, my rescuer, was somewhere in a field of fire and destruction. I let out a small sigh. The future was looking darker every day, especially for Shadow. Ever since his fate was revealed–his potential destiny of a life forever locked away from humanity–things had only gotten grimmer. Perhaps now, this future was dawning upon us. My eyes, sore from holding back tears, began to close as I thought of the past...

_"That was so unlike you, Shadow, to come and rescue me. Luckily for us, you can manipulate Chaos Control."_

_"Hmph, you know, I really came back for the Chaos emeralds."_

_"Oh sure, Shadow. You and I both know that's not the whole story."_

_"No, its not. But, I don't know how to narrate that story for you."_

_"Try..."_

_""Well, I... I don't remember very much of my past, except a promise I made to a friend. I plan to keep that promise, even if I die trying."_

_"What was it? What did you promise?"_

_"I told her 'I would fix it; I would fix everything wrong with those people down on that blue planet.' If I could go back in time, instead of merely moving forward, I would save her... Save her from a terrible fate. But, I can't. I can only make them pay for what they did."_

_"Is that why you rescued me? To prove that you could rescue someone, because you failed to save her?"_

_"No... I... It's because, well, you remind me of her... Look, Rouge, I won't make that mistake again. No one else I care about is going to die because of me."_

Forgetting about my injury, I roll onto my left side. In a burst of agony, I quickly turn over. My eyes are swollen heavy with sleep. My reverie changes to a more recent time.

I remember the clear shores of Soleanna, watching the boats sail in the distance. Even though the world was on the edge of destruction, the ocean sunset was still beautiful as ever–perhaps more. Shadow and I watched the sun go down, letting our realization of his potential imprisonment set in. Finally, after hours of silence, we discussed the future.

_"Rouge, I don't want to believe in that future. I... I can't."_

_"Shadow, you make your own destiny. No one can decide the future for you; there are many courses our lives can take. And I will journey down each path–every fate–with you."_

_"Perhaps you're right. Maybe I do determine my own future."_

_"I believe you do. And I know I'm choosing to follow you, to wherever this path leads us."_

_"... Thank you."_

If only I could tell him what I feel now. If only I could tell him the whole truth, the entirety of how much he means to me. I wish I could see him now.

But the change in lighting breaks my dream-state. The room is an eerie shade of yellow, glowing with no definite source of light. I hear the Doctor laugh maniacally in the distance. Then I hear something closer, something high pitched, almost childlike... Like it's directly behind me.

_"The world will fall into ashes."_


	7. Chapter 7: Fire With Fire

_It's good to be back in business, everyone! I missed you :)_

_Back to Shadow's perspective._

The helicopter ride to Knothole was brutal. Aside from flying, watching much of Westopolis burn to the ground once more was unbearable; It reminded me too much of my experience with the Black Arms. Yet, I couldn't tear my eyes away from the destruction. I felt like it was my fault, like this all could have been prevented. I just wasn't fast enough. I didn't live up to my title–the ultimate life form.

As we land, amidst the green oaks and weeping willows of Knothole, I think of Rouge. My mind begins to recede into darkness, taking me through all the worst case scenarios. I try not to think about it, but I can't help it. I have to save her, she's my only concern right now. When I know she's safe, I'll be able to stop the Doctor once and for all.

Once through the transparent security system, Knuckles sets up a silver monitor to stream the events of Westopolis. I give him a USB link to the G.U.N. security camera system in Westopolis, allowing us to view and hear any messages Eggman projects onto the Flux building. So far, his message revealing the army and hostages has been playing on repeat. I silently hope he won't send anything else, but I know the worst is yet to come. The Doctor doesn't take hostage situations lightly, especially now that his mind is lost.

Sonic is distraught. Tails and Amy are his best friends–his family. His rage makes finding a solution even harder. Yet, I'm the same. Knuckles seems to be the only one who's making an effort to speak.

"Well, considering you two are worthless right now," Knuckles sneered, "I'm going to inform the Freedom Fighters about what happened. We have to launch an all out attack. Eggman's declared war, and soon enough he'll be after Knothole, Angel Island, and the rest of the emeralds. We have to strike before he gets even more powerful."

"Are you out of your mind, Knucklehead?" Sonic yells. His eyes are glistening with both rage and sorrow. "Eggman is way too powerful to take head on! Plus, he'll kill Tails and Amy if he even senses a rebellion!"

"Sonic, I don't know what else to do. The last thing I want is to watch more people die because of this."

"Well, the last thing I want to do is watch Tails, Amy, and Rouge get murdered on camera for all of Mobius to see! Damn it, Knuckles! Amy and Tails are practically my family. They're the only people I've got left. I won't watch them die, or worse, while I'm marching head on into a pointless battle!"

"Damn it, fine. What the hell do you suggest then Sonic?" Knuckle's fists began to ball with rage.

"Hey, Knuckles," I interject, "Why don't you shut up and calm down before you get hurt?" I'm not good at playing the mediator. I find threats to be much quicker.

"What's that supposed to mean, Shadow? Are you gonna be the one to silence me? Why don't you just send me to Doctor Eggman too?! Just leave me on his front door to die like you did with Rouge!"

"Take that back." I growl.

"There's no point in taking back the truth, Shadow. You left her there, alone. Across from a base you KNEW had an entire damn robot army!"

"I was under strict orders from G.U.N..."

"FORGET ABOUT THE DAMN G.U.N!" Knuckles was in full rage now, his eyes flaring like fireworks, "Is that all you are, Shadow? One of G.U.N.'s robots? No emotion, no compassion for the people you put in harms way. Just a cold hearted automaton? You never gave a damn about Rouge at all! Yet, she followed you everywhere, without hesitation. She _trusted _you!"

_"Even if all the world turns against you, know that I will always remain by your side. Remember that, Shadow."_

"Knuckles," Sonic said quietly, "Don't do this."

"Why not, Sonic? It's his fault she's gone. She should have gone with me, the day you fell. The day you should have burned up in the atmosphere. No. Instead, you came back. She chose you. If you would have just stayed locked away, none of this would have happened!"

My heart sinks. Maybe he's right. This whole situation, the entire future of Mobius, could be improved without my presence. Without me, the Doctor would have never found the chaos emerald. Perhaps he would still be with us, not lost to the depths of insanity. Yet, I remember something Rouge told me in Soleanna... Something I'll never forget.

_"Shadow, you make your own destiny. No one can decide the future for you; there are many courses our lives can take. And I will journey down each path–every fate–with you."_

"I make my own destiny, Knuckles. And right now, I'm choosing to end this conversation."

With speed only matched my Sonic, I grab the red chaos emerald from Knuckles and use it to warp behind him. I bring my fist hard into his back, crushing him to the ground. He cries out in pain, but I know it will only be a bruise... Or possibly a shoulder fracture. The bones in my hand hurt from the punch, but my pain is rewarded with whimpers from Knuckles.

"Alright! Both of you, stop! We are wasting time! The longer we fight with each other, the less time we have to save Tails, Amy, and Rouge." Sonic helps Knuckles to his feet with a hard jolt upwards. Knuckles winces and Sonic rolls his eyes, which clues me into his silent message: he approves of my punch.

"Alright, fine. If we can't launch an attack, how can we sneak into the base? The place is crawling with robots and Eggman's got a chaos signal detector. So, chaos control is completely useless." Knuckles' eyes are watering from the pain. I'm not in the mood to smile, but at least by face is smirking slightly.

The Flux building is practically impenetrable. Along with it's top notch security system, Eggman has somehow found a way to detect foreign chaos signals. Since his army is well in the thousands, a knock on the front door can't be our strategy. Somehow, we have to find a way in without alerting the robots or the Doctor. It seems we're at a stalemate.

Suddenly, I remember something odd about Eggman's video threat. The hostages appeared to be housed in a prison, but the walls were dark and damp, like it was underground. Eggman was rumored to be residing in the penthouse of the Flux building. But, how could he be speaking underground while on the top floor of a skyscraper?

"Omega," I speak into my false inhibitor ring communicator, "Could you run a diagnostic for me? I need to know if there is any activity under the ground near the Avenue F bombing."

"Shadow," Omega responds, "What type of activity are you searching for? My sensors do not detect any potential explosives near the Flux building."

"No, look for heat signals–signs of life. Eggman's base may not be the Flux building after all. It looks like agent Rouge and the other hostages are trapped somewhere underground."

"Alright! Way to think Shadow!" Sonic shouts in excitement. It's our first breakthrough all day. "I'll keep watching the message. Maybe it'll give us a clue to Eggman's whereabouts."

"Agent Shadow, I have not detected any activity under avenue F. No sign of life or mechanical motion."

"Hmph... Check all areas near the explosions, Avenues L, U, and X. Then report back to me."

"Roger that, Agent."

"Hey, Shadow, come look at this picture. It's pretty bizarre."

Sonic glares hard at the silver screen. He has the hostage tape paused on Eggman's laugh, zoomed up to his face.

"What exactly am I looking at, Sonic?"

"Look at Egghead's eyes in this picture. This is right after he yanks off that black fabric from Tails' head. They... they don't look quite right."

I stare deep into the Doctor's holographic stare. His eyes are maniacal, wide-eyed with elation and triumph. Yet, they are not his normal eyes. They don't even appear human. His once green irises are engulfed in an abnormal color of orange, glowing slightly in the dark of the prison.

"What do you think that is, Sonic?" Knuckles asks.

"I don't know. Do you think it could be a refection from the prison light?"

"No," I say. "I've seen that light before. It was right out here, when Rouge and I left for the mission. I'd never seen anything like it; I would recognize it anywhere."

A chill ran down my spine. What the hell was I seeing earlier today? The light out there and the one in Eggman's eyes couldn't possibly be a coincidence. First my dream, then the forest, and now this?

"What are you talking about, Shadow?" Sonic asks with concern.

"I... I don't know. All I know is that I've been seeing these strange lights lately, and now I can't ignore them. It must be some sort of clue to what's going on with the Doctor."

Sonic sighs, "Hmm, it isn't much of a clue at all, is it?"

My communicator vibrates with sudden force. I press the button to answer the call, and I wait hopefully for good news.

"Agent Shadow, I have found the signal you were looking for. I have sensed foreign activity underneath Avenue X, both human and machine. This is most likely the location of Doctor Eggman's true base."

My heart leaps in my chest. Finally, some success.

"Excellent, thank you Omega. Sonic, did you hear that?"

"I sure did! But still, how are we gonna get in? I'm sure Egghead isn't bluffing about that chaos detector."

"Well, what if we developed something of our own?" I ask. "What if we create something that can block Eggman's sensors?"

"That's perfect! Way to go, Shadow! But, how can we get it? Only Tails would be able to engineer something like that..."

True. The fox boy is the smartest engineer in all of Mobius, or at least the smartest outside the Robotnik family tree. Yet, I think of the perfect solution.

"Sonic, there is someone else we could call."

His eyes narrow, and he instantly knows who I mean.

"Hope Kintobor. Kid genius." Sonic exclaims.

"Yes, and a G.U.N. agent. But most importantly, a Robotnik by blood."

Sometimes fire must be fought with fire.


	8. Chapter 8: Escape to the City

_Hello Everyone. I have returned from an incredibly long hiatus, and I will finish what I started. Even if it takes another year (haha). Enjoy this next chapter, and accept it as my apology for not keeping up with this story._

_It's been far too long. Once again, here's another chapter from Rouge's perspective. _

My heart pounded as my head turned abruptly around. That voice… Where did it come from? I heard it, as if it was coming through the brick wall behind me. The room was still shrouded in the dense orange light, almost as if it were a fog. Yet, it was not bright enough to blind me. Rather, it looked as if it were sitting in the air, watching my every move.

I called out to Tails and Amy, just to see if they were anywhere nearby. Unfortunately, no one responded.

"Tails! Amy! Can you hear me?! Can anyone hear me?"

_It is useless._

I swiftly turn around again. Icy fear ran cold through my veins. That same voice… It was mocking me! I mustered up any bravery I had left, and managed to yell.

"Who…who are you? Show yourself!"

_Why, dear Rouge, I am all around you. I am in front of you, I am beside you, and I am behind you._

I contort my head to look behind me once more, but still nothing. Am I hearing things? How long have I been locked away in this cell? It feels like years. Alas, it has probably been no more than a few hours.

"I must be hearing things," I say aloud, simply to test the idea.

No answer.

"Rouge? Is that you?" A small voice asks in the distance.

"Amy?! Are you okay? Where are you?"

"I…I'm in a cell. Tails is here too! He's right next to me! Where are you? Are you alright?"

"Yes," I respond, shaking off my obvious hallucination. "I… I'm alright. My wing is broken, though. And I'm trapped too. What…what is in front of you? Can you see anything?" I remembered the black bags Eggman placed over our heads, hoping Amy had managed to get hers off.

"Yeah, I… I can see a steel door, with this weird light around it. You sound nearby! This place echoes so strangely though; can you see anything like that?

I sigh with slight relief. Amy could see the light too, and the same door across from the iron bars holding me in my cell.

"Amy," I say with another sigh, "I think our cells are next to each other. I see the strange light and the door."

"Oh! That's…um… good? Well, it's not bad news I guess!"

Amy. She always tried to find the bright side of things. Even when the only brightness we could find was the eerie light floating throughout the room. Yet, I could hear the fear in her voice. I could feel the sorrow, the longing for someone to rescue her from this hell. This prison engulfed in dim light. My eyes burn with the familiar sting of tears–for I longed for my own rescuer.

"Rouge, what are we going to do? Tails… he hasn't woken up! And, all the fire, the explosions! How can we get out? We have to stop Eggman before he hurts or kills anyone else! And… Oh, Sonic! Where are you?!"

I close my eyes and feel the tears running down my face. What were we going to do? My mind began to wander, thinking of my past experiences being trapped. I remembered Prison Island, and the Ark. I also remembered the Black Comet and fires of Solaris. Every time, no matter what, Shadow was there. I could only hope he would be here again.

In rage, I slammed my heel into the ground. The iron on my boots caused a spark against the stone, bringing it loose from the flooring. I kneel down to pick up the stone, yet I notice something odd. The stone brought up a huge clump of wet, mossy earth–as if the cell was sitting a top a shallow island. I brought the dirt up to my nose, sensing the familiar smell of rainwater and rusty metal. I kicked at the ground again, this time bringing up two or three pieces of the floor. More moss and dirt were revealed, and a new smell of sewage pierced my nostrils. These cells, they must be built near a sewer… And it must be close enough to keep the floor damp. In fact, the ground squished beneath my feet.

Suddenly, it hit me.

"Amy, I need you to try and remove the stones in the floor."

"What? Why? Won't we just waste ener–" Amy fell silent, and I heard tapping from next door. She had figured out my plan.

I began furiously kicking at the floor, sending stones and rotten floorboards flying. The earth before me writhed with life; earthworms, moss, and wet grass were visible from underneath the wreckage. I quickly glanced at the door, noticing the strange light. It vanished, as if it had passed through the door! Whatever it was, it was gone. And I could sense Amy and I needed to hurry if we were to make it out alive.

"Amy, I think I have brought up enough floor to start digging. I'm gonna go as fast as I can, but you need to dig away from the door, okay? Dig towards the back wall!"

"But, Rouge! How are we going to get out through the wall?"

I furiously began to kick up dirt. The sodden earth sloshed beneath me, but I could feel my progress increase. Ferociously, I began to move the earth with all my might. The black dirt became wetter and rockier, and I knew I was getting close.

Suddenly, my right foot had nowhere else to dig. The surprising sensation of falling hit me as I rapidly fell with the crumbled earth. I landed hard after what seemed like five seconds of falling. Rocks pelted my back, and I winced in pain as one grazed my broken bone. I brushed the dirt from my eyes and looked up; I could see my prison cell above me. I was free.

Water rushed near my feet. I glanced in front of me and saw exactly what I had hoped–the sewers of Westopolis. Unfortunately, I saw no ladder or manhole leading to the streets above, but at least I was free from Eggman's madness. The ceiling to my left began to crumble as well, and I saw a pink and orange blur tumble to the ground. Dark clumps of dirt and rock buried their bodies. I quickly got to my feet and ran over to the pile.

"Amy! Tails! Are you okay?" I asked. Not everyone can be as graceful as me.

Amy's head popped out from under the dirt. She stood quickly, forcing the dirt off of her pink dress. She bent down and lifted an unconscious Tails from the earth.

"I'm alright. We need to get Tails somewhere safe, I… I don't think he's doing very well." Amy looked at her wrist and her face turned sour. "Shoot! My radio is gone! We need to find Sonic and Shadow! And get out of here before Eggman notices we are missing!"

"I couldn't agree more," I replied. "We appear to be below the streets of Westopolis, in the sewers. Hopefully, if we walk along the side, we will find a ladder that leads to the streets!"

"Okay! Let's go!"

Amy grabbed Tails and slung his body over her shoulder with ease. Though she acts like a child, she has the heart and strength of a fighter. I silently laugh at myself. Normally, that strength would be directed towards hitting me with her hammer. This time, we were allies.

We ran into the darkness as fast as we could. With the weight of Tails and my broken wing pulsing at my back, we could not go very fast or very far. The pain made my eyes water and my fingers shake. I could feel them cramping and swelling with hot blood. We needed to find help as fast as possible. My eyes became used to the darkness faster than Amy's, and I could see the tunnel went for a long ways–yet, no sign of an exit. The sharp smell of sewage and rust filled my head, making me dizzy. As I ran, my mind wandered again to the past.

_"He was a hero, Rouge. He sacrificed himself to save us."_

_"I…I know. It…doesn't make it any easier."_

I looked ahead; I saw a dim source of light. Had we reached the end of the tunnel? 

_"So, when we get back to Earth, are you off to steal someone else's jewels?"_

_"I haven't really thought about it, Knuckles. I have something, something…better than jewels that I'm thinking about right now." _

_"Rouge… he's gone." _

_"…"_

_"I'm sorry. We are all here for you. I'm here for you." _

_"Shadow…"_

Again, the sensation of falling took me. I gasped, filling my lungs with salty water. I quickly told my legs to swim. My hand felt sand, and I opened my eyes. I saw Amy swimming ahead with Tails on her back, towards what looked like the shore. I quickly followed. My arms, weak from hunger and exhaustion, barely carried me there. I felt my legs brush against the incline of sand, and I walked up onto the beach. My tired, aching body collapsed. I was free.

And yet, my mind plunged into darkness. And the orange light returned, flooding my eyes with images of fire and death.


	9. Chapter 9: Chaos Theory

"Shadow, you need to get some rest."

I stared at the machine Hope had built in only several hours, though it was not yet complete.

"Shadow, are you listening to me?"

I picked up the red chaos emerald next to me and placed it underneath the sensor. Maybe just one more test, and then we would have it.

"SHADOW!"

My head swiftly turned around. Hope was standing behind me in her nightgown, dark eyed from working at a computer screen.

"I'm sorry, Hope. I'm just preoccupied. I want to get this thing built so we can attack."

"Shadow," she said sweetly, "You need to get some sleep. It's nearly 2:00 in the morning, and I have a lot of work left to do. And, I can't really do any of it if you are in my way, sleepy head."

My eyelids felt heavy as they longed for rest. But my heart and head were restless. My body ached with sleep, but I couldn't bring myself to stop until I could see her again.

"I don't know if I _can _sleep. Just let me run the diagnostics on the emerald and see if anything has changed."

"Nothing is going to change in a matter of ten minutes. You can't just keep testing the shield over and over again without me improving it. Shadow, please. This will go a lot faster if you let me work in peace."

She had a point. Perhaps after a few hours, we would be ready to go. Knuckles had long since fallen asleep on the couch across from Hope's work station, and Sonic was no where to be found. I assumed he ran to the beach to clear his head. The stress was riding high on all of us.

"You're right. I'll stay out of the way."

"Look, Shadow. You wouldn't BE in the way if you would just let yourself sleep. We are all worried, but I know you guys will save Rouge and Amy and Tails! You always do! When you've rested, you can come back and help me, okay?"

"Hmph."

I stumbled over to the door and let the cool night air rush over my body. I stepped outside and looked behind me towards the roof. An easy jump, really. I bent my knees and flipped up to the sky, landing swiftly on my feet. The roof offered the best view of Mobius and its scintillating night sky. I sat on the rough shingles and pointed my head at the sky. The stars glistened with clear brilliance and the moon watched me sideways and crescent. The stars had their own magic on my heart, instantly entrancing me with their radiance. I felt my mind wander into the depths of sleep.

All of a sudden, I was in Soleanna. The crystal ocean waves brushed against my shoes as I floated lightly above the shallow water. I saw sailboats in the distance, their bright fabrics complementing the magenta and citrus sunset. I looked at the water beneath my feet; there was nothing but a crystal clear view of the sand and seashells below. My mind was at ease. I turned around to face the city, when my feeling of content was shattered. Flames swallowed the city and black smoke rose from the ashes. I sprinted towards the fire, but kept getting further and further away. I could hear people screaming my name, begging for help as they burned. Then, I heard her.

"Shadow! Help me!"

"No, no please. Rouge! I'm coming!"

"Shadow!" she cried, her voice trembling with tears.

"Where are you, Rouge? Where are you?"

I forced my legs to move as fast as they could, but Soleanna remained unreachable.

"Please, Shadow. I can't breathe! The smoke…it's…too…much…"

"No! No, no, no, no! NO! ROUGE!"

I tossed and turned until I forced myself to wake up. My body was drenched in cold beads of sweat. The breeze sent a chill down my spine as the icy wind hit my damp skin. I looked up at the sky, still dark except for the stars.

"SHADOW! COME QUICK!"

All sleep vanished from me. Sonic's voice echoed through my head like the screams from my nightmare.

"OH MY GOD! SHADOW! WHERE ARE YOU?"

"I'm up here, Sonic!" I called from the roof. His voice sounded distant, as if it were coming from the trees behind the lab.

"SHADOW, SHADOW! I FOUND THEM! TAILS AND AMY AND—"

I sprinted inside, ripping the door off the hinges. Hope was still at her computer screen and Knuckles was still deep in slumber. I stormed over to the chaos emerald and ripped it from the machine. Before Hope could react, I was already in the forest, searching for Sonic's voice. Was I still dreaming? Could this be true?

"WHERE ARE YOU?" I yelled. My eyes were stinging and my heart began to pound.

"AT THE FOREST'S NORTHERN EDGE! NEAR THE BEACH!"

Trees shook around me as I raced north. The glimmering outline of the ocean was in sight, so I squeezed the chaos emerald and closed my eyes. Without a second to lose, my feet landed gracefully in the sand. I whirred around desperately, searching for any sign of Sonic. After merely a second of searching, I saw them.

Sonic was standing over Amy and Tails, their bodies pale and full of seawater. Sonic had turned Tails on his side, his breath faintly moving his chest up and down. He was alive. Sonic crouched over Amy and began to press on her chest, forcing the water out of her lungs. But where was…

I saw her, her back facing me. She was only a few feet behind Sonic.

I rushed over to them moving faster than I had ever before, gripping the chaos emerald tightly in my hand. I could feel the sharp edges of it pierce my skin. Within a few seconds I had reached Rouge. Her left wing was broken; I could tell by the swollen purple skin around her fragile bones. I placed my hand on her neck, searching desperately for a pulse. Nothing. I carefully turned her onto her back, trying not to cause any further damage to her wing. Frantically, I grabbed her wrist, trying to get a better reading of her pulse.

"Come on, Rouge. Stay with me," I whisper.

I could feel a faint beat between the deep grooves of her wrist. She was still alive.

My hands instantly went to her chest, pumping steadily at her heart. I could feel her ribs cracking beneath my palm, the quiet snapping of bone echoing in the darkness. Her face was so pale, like a ghost lying against the glowing grains of sand. I stopped pounding on her chest to lean into her, listening for signs of breath. The wind made it hard to tell what was a sign of life versus the night wind howling against my back. I moved my face inches from hers, hoping to feel her breath on my cheek. After what seemed like an eternity, a light burst of air grazed my cheek. The seawater slowly drizzled out of her mouth. The color returned to her cheeks. Her eyes fluttered open, and the inevitable pain set in.

"Sha—"

I moved off of her body to grab the chaos emerald I left in the sand. Lightly pressing my hand to her back, I picked Rouge up into my arms. My other arm wrapped tightly around her legs to avoid letting them injure her wing any further. I turned towards Sonic and saw that he had done the same with Amy, and Tails had slightly regained consciousness and leaned against Sonic's side. I turned my right side towards Sonic, allowing him to touch the chaos emerald grasped tightly in my hand.

"Chaos Control!"

Our sudden appearance in the laboratory prompted a scream from Hope, causing Knuckles to awaken suddenly. His surprise caused him to fall off of the couch and onto the floor. Pathetic.

"Oh my gosh! Sonic! What happened?" Hope exclaimed as she rushed to help Tails onto a couch.

"I went to the beach, you know, to try and let off steam. When I got there, these weird lumps kind of just washed up on the shore. I went over to investigate and almost had a heart attack," he said, gently placing Amy on the couch next to Tails. "When I realized it was them, I almost couldn't comprehend what to do."

"I'm going to call Commander Hightower! He can get us some medical help!" Hope dashed over to the phone, but I was already upstairs, towards Hope's bedroom. I kicked open the door and set Rouge down on the bed. Knuckles was close behind me.

"Get me the medical kit, Knuckles. It's in the cabinet underneath the computer monitor" I demanded.

"Is she…is she alive?"

"Damn it Knuckles! GET ME THE MED KIT!" I had no time for his idiocy.

He quickly ran downstairs and rustled for the kit. I knew no regular first aid would due. Luckily, Hope kept a lot of Mobian medicine in the lab to instantly heal things like burns or electric shock. But I knew one thing would do the trick.

"Here, I found it," said Knuckles as he placed the kit at my feet. "What are you going to do?"

"Something I am not entirely sure will work…"

I put my hands on my inhibitor rings, and removed them. The false inhibitor ring, which carried my communicator, shattered in my grasp; I should have been more careful to remove that one first. I opened the kit and found exactly what I was looking for—a Mobian power ring. I quickly grabbed it and could feel the chaos power flowing through my veins. Slipping it onto my wrist, I grabbed Rouge's hand, intertwining my fingers with hers. In my other hand, I felt the power of the chaos emerald. I squeezed it tightly, clinging to every last shred of hope in my body.

With intense concentration, I began to ask the powers of chaos something I had never asked before.

_Give her my strength, my power. I am the ultimate life, and I wish to heal those who are broken. _


	10. Chapter 10: Everlasting Reveries

_"Shadow, what do you think life is like on Earth?"_

_"Well, the Professor once told me that our purpose here is to make people happy–as he puts it, 'through the power of science.' Maybe the people on Earth search for the same thing…Happiness." _

_"Shadow…"_

_"Maria, it feels like I don't know anything anymore. Maybe that blue planet below will have answers for me." _

_"What do you mean?"_

_"I wonder what purpose I have here. Why was I created? It seems all I am capable of is destruction."_

_"I don't believe that."_

_"What?"_

_"I believe you were brought into this universe to accomplish something great–something… amazing."_

_"Maria, why do you say that?"_

_"I just know it."_

_"…"_

_"But, Shadow…"_

_"Yes?" _

_"Remember that no matter what happens, you cannot sacrifice your own happiness."_

_"What do you me—?"_

_"Just promise me." _

_"I promise you…"_

Below I can feel the Earth rotate on its axis, tilting just far enough to extract the sun's eternal radiance.

_"Revenge." _

My hands quiver; I can feel my body shaking with power.

_""Is that all you are, Shadow? One of G.U.N.'s robots? No emotion, no compassion for the people you put in harms way? Just a cold-hearted automaton? You never gave a damn about Rouge at all! Yet, she followed you everywhere, without hesitation. She trusted you!"_

I open my eyes, or at least, I try to. Light surrounds me. It's…too bright to see anything.

_"She should have gone with me, the day you fell. The day you should have burned up in the atmosphere. No. Instead, you came back. She chose you. If you would have just stayed locked away, none of this would have happened!"_

"Shadow?"

_"Bah, Shadow. Forget about her. Meet up with me and we'll dig the emeralds up out of the ashes."_

"Is he…alright?"

_"What? No! Don't leave me here, please! I... I don't want to die."_

"Shadow! Can you hear me? Answer me, please! Please, please let him be okay."

_"Close your eyes, Maria. I've got you now."_

I jolt upright, gasping for air. The light…it was gone. I could see again. I slowly shifted my eyes around, looking for any sign of where I was, and why my head was on fire.

"Shadow! Oh thank God! You're alright!"

Rouge's knees buckled as she crashed to the floor to reach me. Her hands briskly grabbed mine, squeezing my fingers with hers. I looked around frantically, trying to figure out what happened. I was in Hope's room, on the floor beside her bed. Both my inhibitor rings were missing, but Rouge was…alive. I mean, truly alive.

"Rouge! What happened to me? How…how did you—?"

"Shadow!" Sonic called, bursting into the room. "What the hell did you just do? Tails, Amy, everyone is okay! It's a freaking miracle, man!"

"Uhhh," I stuttered, "I don't really know.""

"Sonic! It was incredible!" Rouge exclaimed. "I was barely conscious, slowly drifting in and out of what seemed like death, when this ray of light burst through me! It felt like… as if I had just felt the sun for the first time! After that, I was alive! I mean, really alive! I feel…amazing!"

My head was still spinning. I took my hands away from Rouge to rub my wrists–a feeling entirely foreign to me. I felt weak, another sensation I rarely feel. Everyone around me was bursting with energy, but I felt 50 years older.

"Shadow, I..." Sonic knelt down beside me. "Whatever you did, whatever damn miracle you pulled, it was exactly what we needed. Thank you."

I shakily stood up. Seeing Sonic thank me like I was some kind of hero was enough sentiment for one lifetime. I unsteadily walked to the stairs, desperately grasping the railing for support. What the hell did I do?

"Shadow!" Amy squealed. "You are okay!"

"Yes. Hope, what's the status on the shield?"

Hope looked at me like I had lost my mind. Perhaps I had, for it felt like my head had been thrown into white-hot lava.

"Shadow, in case you have forgotten, three of my friends were literally _just _dying. The shield hasn't exactly improved since that pretty major incident."

"Shadow, hon, let me help you get down the stairs."

Rouge flew quickly beside me. I hadn't even noticed I only made it two steps. The ultimate life form, likely sealed away in the distant future forever, and I can't make it down a goddamn flight of stairs. Yet, that wasn't what struck me as the most odd. Rouge's nails, when she reached for my arm, dug deep into my skin. It was as if she was trying to pierce through my arm.

"Ow, Rouge. What the hell?"

"Oh, I'm sorry! I guess I don't know my own strength."

Her nails still scratched at my arm; little beads of blood began to race down my dark skin. They let up a bit, revealing a pretty large gash. Had I been cut with a knife earlier? There is no way Rouge's nail made that big of a mark.

"Hey, guys. I think Shadow needs some rest. Why don't you all… take a walk for a while? Get your strength back. I'll keep an eye on old grumpy pants here."

"Good idea," said Sonic. "Amy, Tails, I wanna make sure you guys are okay to work!"

Rouge picked up my shaking body and placed me on the couch. Again, her razors dug in, only this time in my ribcage. I winced, and began to grind my teeth in pain.

"Oh! I am so sorry again, Shadow! I need to watch these things."

I looked up into Rouge's eyes, trying to stop gritting my teeth. What did it matter if her nails scratched my skin? She was alive, and that's all I cared about. She was here, safe beside me forever. I kept my promise, my promise to always protect her. My hand began to intertwine with hers, as naturally as anything I had ever done in my life. Her eyes glowed bright under the fluorescent lights of the lab, her orange irises showing my reflection.

Orange. Orange Irises.

Rouge's eyes are green.

"Rouge, I need to ask you something," I say, trying not to let my voice shake. I can feel my strength returning slowly. I need to bide my time.

"Anything, darling, anything."

Her eyes burned with intensity, as if they were trying to pierce my mind–like her nails did into my skin.

"Do you remember that day, in Soleanna, when we watched the sunset, and talked about the future?"

I gently untangled my hand from her grasp, and slowly reached for the chaos emerald on the table.

"Of course I remember, silly. How could I ever forget?" She sat on the table across from me and leaned her head on my chest. My heart jumped, but I had to keep talking. I could feel the emerald's glassy surface.

"Rouge," I said as I slowly placed my other hand on her head, stroking her ear between my knuckles. "What did you promise me that day?"

_"Even if all the world turns against you, know that I will always remain by your side. Remember that, Shadow."_

I felt her lungs move faster, her breath increase with nerves. The emerald had fallen into my hand.

"I…I promised you…"

I could feel my strength returning. I didn't know how much longer I could hold back without my inhibitor rings.

"You promised me what?"

"I promised that I… would… _never forget what you did to me_."

I squeezed the emerald with all my might, warping to the other side of the room. My hands summoned a chaos spear, and I quickly whipped around to face the imposter.

"Who the hell are you, and what have you done with Rouge?"


	11. Chapter 11: Demons of the Past

My hands trembled. One shakily held the chaos emerald, while my other conjured a spear, ready for attack. This impostor, its body was Rouge's. Every curve, every hair, everything was identical–except for the eyes. Could this be the real Rouge, but possessed by some monster? I was hesitant to shoot something so deadly at what I did not understand.

"_Shadow, I'm devastated." _The voice shook with rage. All traces of Rouge's demeanor, voice, and personality vanished. Merely her body stood before me. "_How could you not recognize your greatest adversary? After all we've been through, after all the destruction we created together, and after you left me to die in that wretched hole in time, I would have hoped my presence in your world would have been…acknowledged." _

Those words, coming from Rouge, they were not her own… Her body moved and contorted like a puppet–as if the strings were maligned and twisted. The scorching orange light that encompassed her irises twisted like flame. She bent and swayed the rest of her body to face me, for only her head had reacted to my sudden disappearance. Her limbs fell flat, yet her neck crooked sharply to the right–focusing on the chaos emerald in my right hand. This, _thing_, was more than simply an impostor, but that voice… It was so familiar.

_"My offer still stands, Shadow. Come join me. Forget this world and come rule all of space and time. Watch everyone crumble beneath your power. I will show you what it truly feels like to be the ultimate life form, king of all mortals. No… why simply a king? You will be more. You will be a God."_

My mind raced for answers. I thought of everyone, _everything _I had fought. Every zone I had breached, every mission I had won, and every one I had failed.

No, it couldn't be.

"Mephiles," I say firmly, trying to conceal my astonishment, "I watched you fall. I watched you vanish from existence. I saw that flame burn out, and I saw you erased from time."

_"Oh, how we wish it could be that simple. How easy it would be if time could simply erase what was made. No. I am alive, Shadow. And I have come here to resurrect my destruction, and engulf the world in fire." _

"So it was you. You've been following me; you are the light!" But, how?

_"Very good, Shadow. It was I watching you in the forest, it was I who influenced the Doctor to build his army, and it was I who planted the nightmares in your head, making you weaker and more vulnerable to me. And it was I who stole what you care for, and I intend to make her body suffer." _

My eyes welled up with rage. I could feel my pulse quicken, and my power grow. Without my inhibitor rings, the power of chaos threatened to destroy everything in the surrounding area. But, could what he said be true? What if that really was Rouge's body before me? I toyed with the emerald in my hand, gripping it tighter in order to increase my control. The chaos spear in my right hand began to pulsate and grow.

I could see Sonic outside through the window. His back was turned away from the laboratory. It was barely sunrise, yet the sun's rays illuminated his electric blue skin. Tails, Amy, and Hope were out there too, blissfully unaware of the danger behind them. Maybe if I could stall long enough, and keep my composure, Sonic would return. That way, the distraction would give me enough time to strike.

Though I wasn't exactly sure where or what to strike. Alas, it was the only plan I had.

_"Your silence concerns me, Shadow. Tell me, what exactly do you plan to do? For if you destroy me, you are merely destroying the vessel in which I inhabit. A vessel, if I am not mistaken, that means a great deal to you." _

"How did you get here? How could you return to Mobius?"

_"Shadow, Shadow, Shadow… Your stupidity tests my patience. Warping between zones, its child's-play." _

"Not unless there is a —"

_"A gate? A portal? Yes, yes. Luckily for me, one opened right in your domain, in a building plagued with death and violence."_

The Flux building. It all suddenly made sense. Mephiles must have found a portal into Mobius within the Flux building, and sought out Eggman to build his army.

"I still don't understand. Why return to Mobius, why focus on the Doctor at all?" I stared into the flaming pupils of my adversary, trying not to focus on the body in which he inhabited.

_"Shadow, don't you see? My power, like yours, grows with chaos. It waxes and wanes, but with possession of the seven, there would be nothing to stop me from destroying this earth you swore to protect. A promise that I don't fully understand myself." _

"You wouldn't understand," I say, "You only desire destruction."

_"Ah, see, that is where you are wrong. I desire many things; one, in particular, is to watch you crumble beneath the weight of devastation. If you will not join me, then it is only you that stands in my way." _

"So why not steal my shade like before? Why not attack me directly?"

_"A moth attacks the light directly, Shadow. Its desire consumes it, and in the end the light always wins. It destroys the moth. But a beetle… A beetle attacks his prey tortuously, choosing what will hurt the prey the most, what will make it weakest. The beetle reduces its prey into a pathetic ball, and strikes with deadlier force than the moth could ever dream of." _

"Moth or beetle, you're still vermin either way. And easy to crush."

_"Hahaha, but am I though? I plunged deep into the Doctor's mind, forcing him to build an army no one on Mobius can resist. I tempted your Commander with threats, and he sent you directly to me. Sure, at first, I wanted you alone. I wanted to inhabit your body, and have the master of chaos himself bring me the emeralds, but then I saw another way, one that could destroy you more wholly than any bomb or blow. I saw your weakness, Shadow. And now, I control its every move."_

Rouge's body began to twirl and spin, dancing in the center of the lab. Her hand slowly reached for her arm, and her sharp nails began to dig into her skin. Just as Mephiles had done to me, the imposter left a huge gash in Rouge's arm. The blood began to drip onto the floor.

My teeth began to grind with wrath. I could barely stay grounded; my anger and power literally lifted me from the floor.

I tried to regain my composure. "Mephiles, only you would be coward enough to hide behind the skin of others and force them to do your dirty work. Why not leave Rouge's body and fight me like a man?"

_"Ah, Shadow, this is why you will never be a God. You cannot understand the concept of complete power–total manipulation. When you and that wretched Sonic locked me away in time, you did destroy my form. I could no longer walk on Mobius as I once had. However, thanks to you, I believe I can change that." _

"What do you mean?"

_"Your desire to save this girl caused you to resort to the power of chaos. I have to say, I am impressed that it worked, and you are still standing. But now, I have a part of you. You wished to mend those who are broken, and give them your power. My possession of Rouge's body allowed that power to be absorbed into me. So, I thank you, Shadow. It is as if now, we are like brothers. Now, I can truly tap into the power of chaos control!" _

Rouge's head cocked backwards, causing her eyes to face the ceiling. Her mouth opened wide, unnaturally wide, as the bright orange light left her body. Her form quickly stumbled to the floor as the orange light circled around it, emanating Mephiles' voice.

_"Though I enjoyed watching you squirm, I believe it is time for me to take my own form. I, Mephiles, will become the walking God I was intended to be!" _

The light bent and curved into shapes I could not recognize. Rouge's body twitched in agony, directly beneath the contorting light of Mephiles. I let the chaos spear in my hand dissolve, and I ran towards the light.

_"Eh he he he, AH HAHAHA! I FEEL THE POWER! I FEEL MY FORM RETURNING! THE POWER OF CHAOS BECKONS ME!" _

The furniture around the lab began to float, to whirl around in chaos. I quickly dodged the computer, followed swiftly by the metal counter–which Mephiles moved in front of the door, blocking the entrance to the lab. Above, the lights began to flicker, and then turn off completely. I could hear Sonic banging on the newly blocked exit.

"Shadow, what the hell is going on? Let me in! SHADOW!"

Mephiles' light suddenly became dark, while absorbing all other light into the chaotic, shapeless mass. The energy emitting from Mephiles lifted the tile away from the flooring, blocking the light from the windows– plunging the laboratory into darkness. What was once the strange orange light wave now stood dark and misshapen, impossible to see in the pitch-blackness.

_"Now, Shadow, let me end you. Let me bring you deep into this darkness, as I plan to do with your beloved Mobius." _

I placed my hand on the nearest surface I could find. Mephiles had made it impossible to see. I had to get to Rouge, and I kept hoping that Sonic could break through the barrier. I felt Hope's worktable, and her wrench. I was near the shield… The shield we were working on to stop the Doctor. It seemed useless now.

Or was it…

_"I can sense you, my brother. My form is almost complete. I will find you."_

I felt the outlines of the shield in my hands. Hope had intended it to replace my false inhibitor ring. Perhaps it would help me regain control of my power.

I put the shield on my wrist. It looked exactly like my rings, but a bright sapphire center distinguished it from the plain gold bands. I felt the gem's glassy surface with my fingertip, and pressed it down–like a button.

Barely, I could see an iridescent outline surround me. The clear and almost invisible force field, much like the one above Knothole, surrounded my body in a bubble of absolution. Though I could no longer sense the chaotic energy erupting from the darkness, I believe my energy was blocked from Mephiles too. I reached out my hand, and saw the slight outline of the shield clinging to my body. Hope's genius had proven itself once again.

_"Where are you…?"_

I squeezed the chaos emerald in my hand, and tested the shield's power. I warped to where I believed the window to be, and instantly began to pull a tile off the window. No reaction from Mephiles. A little bit of light revealed Rouge's position. I placed the tile back, shielding myself in darkness.

Without hesitation, I warped to her body. There wasn't enough light for me to see Mephiles, if his form was even visible, but I had enough time to lift Rouge into my arms.

"Shadow? Is that you?"

"Shh. Close your eyes. I've got you."

I stood up, bringing Rouge's body close to my chest. I mustered all of my courage, hoping that what I was about to say would be correct.

"Give up Mephiles. You're still too weak to fight me. Now either show yourself, or feel the true wrath of chaos control."

_"I have awoken, Shadow. We will meet again. You will fight my army, the powers of chaos, and me. And, you will fall. Say goodbye to your dismal future, for I will obliterate any chance you have of survival." _

The light returned to the fluorescent bulbs above. Mephiles was nowhere to be seen. Suddenly, shards of metal flew near my ears. I turned around to see Knuckle's fist had broken through the counter. Without Mephiles' force, the counter fell swiftly to the floor, opening the lab to the outside. Sonic bolted inside, observing the wreckage.

"Shadow… Rouge… what happened?"

"Sonic," I say, "The Doctor. The insanity. The strange lights! All of it…it was Mephiles."

"What? That's impossible! I watched Elise put out the flames! Mephiles, he can't exist!"

"I'm afraid it's true. He's almost gained enough power to resume his own form, but before that he was possessing the Doctor and Rouge."

I look down at Rouge. She is tightly clinging to my chest, her arms trembling. Her eyes are still closed, but I place my hand on her cheek. She opens her eyes, revealing her green irises. I sigh with relief, and press my forehead to hers.

"I told you, I will always keep you safe," I whispered.

I felt her lips lightly graze my cheek. Blushing was inevitable.

I swiftly returned my gaze to Sonic. Predictably, he was tapping his foot with impatience. I cleared my throat, and told everything Mephiles had told me. I described his plan, the Doctor, the army, everything–all while desiring nothing more than to escape into the sunrise with Rouge in my arms. Sadly, that was impossible.

"What do you propose we do?" Knuckles asked after a long and uncomfortable silence.

I closed my eyes. I didn't know what to say. I had given Mephiles strength, given him life. He had the ability to destroy Mobius because I gave him the power of chaos. And now he returned to his giant army, only to burn everything I loved to the ground.

The solution was inevitable.

"If I can give him strength, I can take it away." I said coldly.

"What do you mean?" Sonic asked with concern.

"This destruction, this madness, it all comes from Mephiles' desire to destroy the things I care about, to take revenge upon me because I sealed him away. If I sealed him before, I can seal him again. Only this time, I have to make sure it stays that way."

"Alright! But Shadow, the scepter of Darkness was… well; it never even existed, technically. How can we seal Mephiles in this future if Elise's father never created the scepter?"

"I think I have the means of sealing him right here."

I put Rouge down gently on the floor by my side, and handed Sonic the chaos emerald. I showed him the shield's band on my wrist. Without the emerald, I could not feel any chaos energy. The shield prevented me from tapping into any source of power. In fact, it started to make me feel weak.

I pressed the sapphire button to release the shield from my skin. My strength returned. I looked at Sonic, and he nodded with approval.

"Hope," Sonic said excitedly, "I think we need you to make us another one of those! Only this time, in cage form."

"I can try, Sonic. But I don't know if this will work…"

"It will," I said. "Mephiles stole a part of my power. If I can't tap into the energy, he won't be able to either. This is the only way we can stop him."

"Well then," Sonic said, "Let's get this show on the road! You guys in?"

"I'm in!" shouted Tails.

"Let's kick some Mephiles butt!" Knuckles cheered.

"We're with you too, Shadow!" said Amy and Hope.

Sonic looked back at me, and said, "Of course I'm in. We fought Mephiles together once, we can sure as hell beat him again!"

I nodded. Gently, I turned my head to Rouge, who now stood by my side. She grasped my hand tightly, and looked into my eyes.

"I promised you I would always remain by your side. And I will."

I grasped her palm tightly, stroking her hand gently with my thumb. I looked at my team, and smiled crookedly.

"Then let's get started."


	12. Chapter 12: Guardian

"Come on, Shadow! At least _try_ to hit me!"

Sonic's voice echoed through the pitch-blackness of the G.U.N. arena. I closed my eyes, trying to focus on his voice rather than the chaos spear in my right hand. Where could he be hiding?"

"Take this as a good sign, Sonic," I say coolly.

"Yeah, if the so-called 'ultimate life form' can't find me, Mephiles doesn't stand a chance!"

I couldn't decide if that was a complement. I spoke into my communicator, silently thanking myself I no longer had to use the false inhibitor ring model. I could feel the full control of my power returning with possession of both rings.

"Rouge, turn the lights back on; I can't detect Sonic anywhere."

The bright white lights above illuminated the hallway, revealing Sonic's position to be only a few feet in front of me.

"Jeeze, Shadow," Sonic mocked, "Maybe you should get your eyes checked."

"Hmph." I hate it when he beats me, even when we are on the same side.

"Haha, you know I'm kidding! This thing is great! Gotta love the choice of gemstone too; blue is the best shade around!"

"Okay, boys!" Rouge's voice echoed over the loudspeaker. "It looks like we've got a working shield! The commander wants you two to head up to the briefing room in sector C."

The G.U.N. arena was something of a new addition to the headquarters, per my request. It was unlike any other training room. It could adapt to many different environments, allowing us to train for any situation. After Rouge, Omega, and I encountered Feist, I required G.U.N. to increase the training options available for Team Dark. Breaching zones, targeting Eggman's army, fighting god-like beings; standard equipment wasn't going to cut it.

Unfortunately, the other worldly encounters seem pretty standard these days.

Sonic and I headed to the elevator. He had his usual air of confidence again. Once Tails and Amy were out of harms way, Sonic returned to his old, exuberant self. Yet, it doesn't seem to bother me as much as it used too. Perhaps my own contentment prevented my usual bitterness from rising.

I looked up to the ceiling to the observance window–something the Commander insisted I install. I could see her looking down and smiling. After the events in Hope's lab, G.U.N. squadrons came to escort us to headquarters. I felt the skin closing up around the gash in my arm. I knew it wouldn't take long to heal. Rouge was really the Commander's prime concern. Once he found out that Mephiles could possess and control whomever he choses (and that his target had been Rouge), the Commander ordered Rouge to take time to heal. I couldn't help but feel responsible; if I hadn't left her side, perhaps none of this would have happened.

I started thinking back to what Knuckles said in Westopolis, and about my feelings towards Rouge. My happiness instantly faded into brooding. I remembered Knuckles' animosity towards me, his protectiveness over Rouge... All of it made my heart plunge into my stomach. Everyone I've ever cared about has been put at risk because of who I am. Maria, Rouge, Hope, everyone.

Maria, you wanted me to never sacrifice my own happiness, but... All it seems to do is hurt the ones I love.

We reached the elevator doors when Sonic interrupted my reverie.

"Shadow, are you okay? Look, don't worry about Mephiles. He won't be able to pull anything like that again! We've got him."

"I'm fine," I lied.

"Come on, Shadow. Something is up."

"It's not Mephiles I'm worried about..." I muttered softly, looking down at the floor.

"...Oh." I could feel Sonic's gaze go right through me. "I see."

I shifted my feet uncomfortably. I'm not used to feeling this...this...vulnerable.

"Shadow, I know you may not believe me, but I know how you feel. Robotnik stole my entire family and turned them into heartless, metal machines. And still, everyday he threatens to destroy what I love, and those I care about. But, I can't let him control my emotions. You have to give yourself a chance to be happy."

I looked away from the floor towards Sonic; he was smiling. The elevator doors opened, and we walked forward in silence. The briefing room was within sight, but I stopped. I leaned against the wall, placing my forehead against the cool concrete. I closed my eyes and let out a long sigh.

"I can't watch anyone else I care about die because of me."

Sonic turned around to face me. He walked up to me slowly, and put a hand on my shoulder.

"That's why we fight, Shadow. We fight to prevent that future. We make our own destiny."

I opened my eyes and brushed Sonic's hand off my shoulder. He laughed and walked into the briefing room. I crookedly smiled, thinking about the uncanny similarities to Sonic's philosophy, Maria's wish, and Rouge's promise to me. Maybe I could prevent that future, and be happy. But, for now, I had to focus on Mephiles.

"Agent Shadow," said the Commander as I walked into the room, "I...I want to apologize for what happened in Westopolis. Had I known what was truly at stake, I would have never insisted for you too–"

"No apology necessary, Commander. You did what you had to do."

The Commander rigidly adjusted his stance from comforting to business. I could sense he felt responsible for what happened to Rouge, something he and I had in common.

"Let's get down to business, shall we?" Sonic remarked excitedly.

"Right," said the Commander. "Agent Shadow, Sonic. Rouge has briefed me on this...thing you two are up against. It seems you have fought it before?"

"Yes," I said darkly, "Unfortunately, that was in another time. This Mephiles is different, an entirely new foe and something we aren't entirely sure we understand."

"Not to get all philosophical on you, Commander," Sonic interjected, "But this guy isn't even supposed to exist."

The Commander's face turned slightly pale. The supernatural occurrences throughout Mobius shouldn't surprise him as much as they always tend to do.

"Right," said the Commander, regaining composure, "My only question is how is this, uh, shield supposed to contain him?"

"In theory, the chaos energy I supplied Mephiles with is what sustains his power. With possession of two chaos emeralds, his power grows rapidly. If we can cut him off from a supply of chaos energy, I think that he will return to the shapeless mass he once was, and we can seal him with the same technology found in Hope's shield."

"Excellent," said the Commander. "What is our battle plan, agent?"

"Mephiles desires to wreak havoc upon Mobius, mostly to avenge what I did to him in another time. I believe his focus will be on me, and I can seal him by dwindling his chaos power."

I looked down at my inhibitor rings, and tried to imagine how I would get Hope's device around Mephiles. The Commander and Sonic waited in silence as I thought.

"Anyway," I continued, "I want G.U.N. squadrons to storm the base underneath Avenue X. I'm not sure if Eggman is still under the influence of Mephiles, but that robot army can't be ignored."

"Exactly," said Sonic. "I want Amy, Knuckles and Tails in the Tornado to accompany them. Amy can lead Knuckles to the prison she and Rouge escaped from, and Tails can supply a quick get-a-way if things get dicey."

"Done," said the Commander. "So you think Mephiles will be in the base with Eggman?"

"I'm not so sure," I said. "Mephiles told me the portal he accessed was inside the Flux building. I wouldn't be surprised if he was building strength there, expecting us to focus on the prison base."

"That makes things interesting," Sonic pondered. "Mephiles will know we are coming after him if you and I aren't with the G.U.N. fleet. How are we gonna take him by surprise?"

I gazed at the red chaos emerald the Commander had placed on the table.

"Sonic," I asked, "How many chaos emeralds are in Knothole as we speak?"

"We have three, Shadow–not including the one on the table. Mephiles has two, and you guys should still have one. Why? Are you gearing up for a Super Shadow transformation?!"

"Not exactly. The last time we fought Mephiles, we needed to use the seven to our advantage. Yet, this time, I think the more secure the emeralds are, the better. The less chaos energy we bring in, the weaker we will make Mephiles. He'll expect us to use chaos power against him."

"Hmm... I don't know if I see where you're going, agent," said the Commander cooly.

"Look," I began, "Think of fighting Mephiles as if you were fighting me. Would you bring in chaos emeralds in a fight against me?"

"Ha!" laughed Sonic, "Are we saying in this scenario that you can keep up with me, and you'll actually GET the chaos emeralds?"

"Hmmmphhhh, I CAN keep up with you," I snarled, "My point is that you wouldn't want to supply your enemy with something that makes him stronger, even if it gives us strength as well."

"Good point," said Sonic, wiping the stupid smirk off his face.

"So, we need to go in and take back what he has. With these shields, I think we can go in undetected long enough to steal them by surprise."

"How many shields has agent Kintobor made, Shadow?"

"I believe she and Tails are working on the version we'll use for Mephiles, sir. Sonic and I tested the prototype and the additional one Tails copied when we arrived; they both seem fully functional."

"Alright. I'm not saying I like this plan, but you're calling the shots, Shadow. We won't make the same mistake as last time."

"Understood."

I got up from my seat and signaled my departure. Sonic remained behind to discuss logistics with the commander regarding Eggman's army. I trusted him to know how to dismantle it the best; he has, after all, destroyed thousands of Eggman robots in his time. I made my way towards the arena, hoping to get a little extra training in. The shield still made me weaker without a chaos emerald in my hand, and it would be tough to rely on technology I didn't understand. Yet, it was the only option. This was the only way no one else could get hurt.

I felt a light tap on my shoulder. Whipping around, I saw Amy only a few feet behind me.

"Shadow, Rouge wants to see you. She said it's really important."

"Uh, okay. Thanks, Amy." Why didn't she just call me on her communicator? "Where is she."

"She's outside, on the lookout deck. She seemed pretty worried, Shadow. Maybe you should go and, I don't know, comfort her and stroke her cheek and–"

"OKAY." I quickly engaged my hover skates, blushing as I did. No one is ever going to let me live this down.

I ran to the edge of the hallway to the small metal ladder used to reach the lookout deck. I lifted the hatch to reveal the twilight sky, already twinkling with stars. The cold chill of night crept upon the horizon, and Rouge looked distantly in the sunset.

"I thought we would never get away from all of them," she said softly.

"Well, you know, business is business."

I walked slowly to her side, looking down nervously at my feet. Her arms were crossed, her left hand covering her large white bandage over her gash. She kept on staring into the sunset, eyes wet with old tears.

"Shadow, I never got to thank you properly. I never got to say–"

"Don't say anything. I told you, it's my job to keep you safe."

"I know, but..."

_"That was so unlike you, Shadow, to come and rescue me." _

"What?"

She smiled and closed her eyes, letting the tears drip down her cheeks. I placed my hand on hers, lightly caressing the back of her palm. She gently laid her head on my shoulder.

"...It's just amazing to see how much you've changed. How much _we've _changed."

I rested my head on hers, letting go of the nerves. My heart felt content as we watched the sun disappear behind the mountains of Mobuis. After a long stretch of blissful silence, I felt the communicator on my hand buzz. It was time for me to head to Westopolis.

"I have to go, Rouge. I'm sorry." I took her head into my hands and placed her forehead to mine. As I embraced her, my mind threatened to break. The dark flashbacks, Maria, everything I had feared returned from the depths of my psyche. I knew I couldn't risk another death for my own feelings. I knew all of this would only end in heartbreak.

"Go," she said. "Just remember, no matter what happens, I'll always remain by your side. I meant it in that time, and I still mean it today."

I turned towards the exit, not letting her see the tears well up in my eyes.

"I will," I say softly. I could feel the loose chaos energy without the shield, and instantly warped to the briefing room. I was alone. Taking the red chaos emerald in my hand, I whispered, "Maybe in the end, we will meet again."

I closed my eyes, and warped deep into the darkness.


	13. Chapter 13: Final Confinement

_I hope you all are well. As promised, the final chapter of Insanity Shield. _

The wind penetrated deep into my skin, biting my bones with bitter chill. I could see every breath, every crystal fall from the sky–even in the darkness of the trees. I clenched the red emerald tightly, trying to prepare myself for the situation ahead; a battle in which I had no idea how to win.

"Are you ready?"

Sonic's voice caused my head to turn in surprise. I had been lost in thought, allowing the night air to consume all feeling from my fingers.

"As ready as I'll ever be," I replied.

"Alright, then. Tails has the Tornado all fired up."

I went over the plan in my head. Tails, Knuckles, and Amy would drop off Sonic and I near the Flux building in order to sneak onto one of the balconies. G.U.N. Personnel would aide Knuckles, Tails, and Amy once they approached the base. If our plan worked, hopefully the element of surprise would be on our side, preventing unnecessary casualties. I brushed my fingers against the shield Hope had given me. Unlike my old communicator, the shield contained my power in full–perhaps even better than my original inhibitor ring. Yet, I could feel it slowly sucking power away from my body. The red chaos emerald in my hand was my only outlet to raw energy. I swallowed the lump inside my throat with difficulty; the nerves began to set in.

"Sonic, the shield still drains my power. What if I–?"

"Hey!" Sonic cut me off. "You won't even need to wear that thing for very long. We're gonna cage up old Mephiles quick and easy."

"If you say so."

I rubbed my wrist with unease and looked back towards the base. Almost all the lights were out, shrouding the mountain in icy darkness. Only one dim light was visible, revealing a vague silhouette watching through the window. I gazed longingly at the outline, relieved knowing that she would be safe behind the paned glass–away from the madness I was sure to encounter with Mephiles. A voice broke my reverie once again.

"Come on, Sonic! I've finished placing the reflector panels on the Tornado! It's time to fly!" Tails called out into the darkness.

Sonic let out a short laugh, and then disappeared into the darkness. I looked up at the base for a final time. I clenched the chaos emerald and warped to the Tornado, simply to test my power a final time (and to beat Sonic to the plane).

The plane ascended into the stars with ease as I clenched my seat with anxiety. The seatbelt dug into my chest as I contorted my head to face the window. Below, I could barely see the outlines of what I thought to be Soleanna. As we got closer to Westopolis, my heart began to beat faster. Bits of frost formed across the glass, depicting crystal pictures around the dim city lights below. I closed my eyes, going over the plan once more in my head. G.U.N. had given Sonic and I an approximate layout of the Flux building; every apartment had two floors, a master balcony, and a clear picture of Avenue F–and the destruction Mephiles had created through Eggman's hands. The only way to find Mephiles was to sneak through the building, searching for any sign of a portal to the parallel zones. Luckily, they emit a different signal from chaos energy. Finding the portal could be done with the shield in operation.

In theory, that is.

Tails was flying low and slow, almost like the helicopter Rouge and I had taken to Westopolis in what seems like years ago. I could feel air moving through the window next to me, as it slowly seeped through the sealant between the metal and the pane of glass. The night air surrounded me, thick and icy with fear and doubt. I could feel my heart swelling under my ribs, longing for what I never knew to be possible, whatever happiness I had found back in the base. I clenched the canvas strap across my chest for support as I looked down at Mobius from the sky. No lights from Westopolis twinkled through the smoke rising from the West. Mephiles must have already unleashed Eggman's creations onto the city.

"What the hell-" Sonic sighed to himself, exasperated and gazing into the distance.

"He already knows we are coming," I said flatly, defeated by the prospect of fighting our way towards the Flux building without the seven Chaos emeralds. With only the red emerald in my hand, Sonic and I would have to make do with our current levels of strength. Hopefully, if we reached the flux building, we could recover Mephiles' emeralds to restore our power; power that would likely be weak, if we even made it out alive.

The prospect of dying comforted me in a strange way. If I were to leave Mobius forever, no one else would have to suffer the dangers my life involved. The Black Arms, Mephiles, the inevitable future of my downfall—all of it could be solved with my sacrifice. So, in truth, as long as Mephiles was defeated, my life simply remained a consolation prize. I selfishly thought of Rouge, and how hard it would be to leave her. She always promised to be by my side, but proximity to me was practically a death wish. If I wanted to keep my promise—to truly keep her safe—I needed to let her live her life in full, alone.

Alone… as in without me—even if I lived through tonight.

The night became abnormally dark as we descended towards Westopolis. My thoughts had consumed me for long enough to reach our destination. Planning was over; the battle was about to begin. My temples throbbed with anxiety, and my power waned from the intensity of the shield. However, the comforting smoothness of the chaos emerald lulled me into a stoic trance. The smooth surface caressed my fingertips in familiarity and strength. As long as I kept the emerald near, my power would remain inside of my body. Tails slowly guided the Tornado to the rocky street. Debris filled the air, clinging to the frost on the window. Sonic and I slowly unbuckled the straps of our seat belts and jumped out of the plane, landing hard on crushed glass and concrete.

"Okay, Tails," Sonic said into his wrist communicator, "Thanks for the lift. You guys need to make your way to Avenue X. What exactly are our coordinates, Knuckles?"

"About 2 clicks Northeast of Avenue F," Knuckles assured. "Luckily we can scan the streets from the sky and see the layout of the city. It's almost impossible to navigate without the computer; why the hell is it so dark?"

"It's Mephiles," I spoke into my newly constructed communicator. "He said something back at the laboratory about plunging the world into darkness. It looks like he's absorbed all electric light from the city."

"And the stars!" Interjected Amy. "I can't even see the sky anymore!"

"This is worse than I thought," muttered Sonic. "I really hope this plan works, Shadow."

"I do too," I sighed. What else were we going to do?

"You guys need to get moving," Knuckles asserted. "I'm getting huge readings of Badniks and Robots all throughout the city. Mephiles may have absorbed all the light, but there is still plenty of power left to charge the robot army. We are gonna get a move on. Good luck you two."

The Tornado disappeared into the darkness, spraying bits of glass and dirt into the air. Sonic and I started to head towards where we thought the Flux building stood. Our only advantage was my ability to sense the chaos emeralds power; whenever we got closer to the building, I could sense the energy emitting from the green and blue gemstones. However, once I put on the shield, tracking the emeralds proved to be vastly more difficult. I unlatched and reattached the metal band, toying with the flow of power.

Sonic and I moved slowly—something I honestly wasn't sure Sonic could handle. I could feel the power of the emeralds growing closer, but the eerie darkness and quiet of the streets made me suspicious. I knew Mephiles had planned for our arrival, but the lack of robot guards was unsettling to us both.

"Shadow, is it just me or is it way past too quiet?"

"Yeah, it's pretty uncanny to be honest."

"I know Mephiles has a superiority complex and all, but you'd think he would send a few challenges our way."

"Maybe this is a blessing in disguise," I breathed. I couldn't quite call it a laugh, but for lack of a better word I thought I heard Sonic chuckle.

"Sonic," Knuckle's voice came through on our communicators, "We just landed outside the police station on Avenue X. According to Nicole, the base is about half a mile from here. We can barely see outlines of the Robots, but we can definitely hear them patrolling. What should we do?"

"Ugh, I'd almost be thankful if we ran into some Badniks, Knux. It's eerily silent on our front. Since the distraction doesn't seem all that necessary, maybe you guys should sneak past and look for an off switch?"

"An off switch? Aren't these things running on chaos power?" Tails asked curiously.

"Yes," I interjected, "But we saw the Doctor put the chaos emerald I gave him into that machine in the video of your capture. However, I can sense Mephiles has both emeralds. That means if you guys can get to that device and destroy it, I'll bet these things all go inactive."

"Good idea, Shadow!" said Amy. "We'll get on it."

"Be careful, Amy," Sonic stuttered. "Last time you went in that base, it…"

"Oh Sonic! You are so cute when you worry about me!" Amy giggled.

"AMY, FOCUS!" yelled Knuckles. The communications went silent.

Sonic laughed at Knuckles' last remark. "Poor Knuckles. I feel like his job is actually the hardest."

"Haha, probably," I chuckled. I welcomed the feeling of good spirits.

We walked in silence for a while. Sonic cleared his throat quietly.

"Hey Shadow, can I ask you something?"

"Depends on what you're asking," I breathed.

"When you thought that…well, that Rouge could be gone, what did you feel? Was it… I don't know, man. This stupid quiet is making me all sentimental. Forget I asked."

I pondered Sonic's inquiry for a moment.

"Rage," I said after a long stretch of silence. "Uncontrollable anger."

"Because your family had been stolen, like a lot of us on Mobius."

Family. The way Sonic said "family" made my heart jump in both grief and satisfaction. Rouge was the closest thing I had to family since, well, Maria… And he was right. So many on Mobius lost family to Robotnik, to the Black Arms, and now Mephiles. If anything tied me to this planet now, it was camaraderie in the sense of loss. All the more reason to end this tonight, to leave once and for all. The best way I could defend my family on Mobius was to defend it far away and alone.

Sonic interrupted my thoughts with a sigh. "It can't be much further. The smoke is getting pretty thick. Any news on the chaos energy?"

I estimated that we had been wandering for about 2 miles. If Knuckles had placed our landing in the right position, we couldn't be far now.

"The power is definitely growing closer. We can't be more than a kilometer away."

"_Oh, but how wrong you are." _

His voice made me jump. My heart did laps in my chest, as the rage threatened to take control.

The now familiar orange light began to illuminate the street like deadly fire. With the aid of the light's reflection, I could now see exactly where we were. The Flux building stood tall, only about a block away. A line of well over 100 robots stood deactivated in front of it. A flash of white light projected on to the glassy surface of the building, much like Eggman's tape from before. However, this was not the same recording. It was a new projection—one I was not ready to comprehend.

"_My dear inhabitants of Mobius,_" Mephiles' voice echoed through the city. The projection on the Flux building was not of the shapeless mass Mephiles has been before. Instead, he was glowing bright with flames—much like his counterpart, Iblis. His aura of light made the two chaos emeralds in the background glimmer and glow. His form once again resembled that of a hedgehog. His fiery orange spikes glowed with intensity, and his chest was white with heat. The illumination given off from Mephiles' body revealed his location: the roof of the Flux building. But, what was this new Mephiles? This flaming demon… Suddenly, the solution dawned on me. In this version of time, Mephiles was not half of Solaris. Instead, he was his own creation—likely inspired by his lost other half. The flames of Iblis had been ignited through my power. I felt my stomach lurch with anxiety. My effort to save Rouge truly had given him form.

"_You do not know me, but fear not. I am Mephiles, a God of another time. I have now come to you to give you the rule you so desperately need; the rule of an iron fist. I would like to thank my puppet, Doctor Robotnik, for creating my new royal guard. I hope you all have had time to get acquainted." _

The floating orange substance on the street slowly floated into the robots. Within seconds, their eyes lit up with orange fury. The sound of iron and cogs filled the air as the army began to flank Sonic and I. Our luck had run out.

"Sonic!" I yelled, "Mephiles is on the roof! He's out in the open!"

"Best luck we've had all night! Here!" Sonic tossed me the golden band around his wrist. The other shield Hope had created.

"What are you doing?" I asked, catching the band with my left hand.

"I'll take care of these pieces of junk down here. You get up there and seal Mephiles!" Sonic smashed his fist into a robot attempting to sneak up behind him. I could see wires spark and bolts come loose from the blow. He jumped backwards into the air, landing on another robot's back while pulling the head off it. Sonic's skill with dismantling Eggman's robots is something I have always envied.

"_My hatred for your planet is not unjust, I promise you. My revenge will be exacted. For I long to show you what it feels like to lose all purpose." _

I fastened Sonic's band to my other wrist, tearing my inhibitor ring off. The shield contained my power, yet the combination of both devices depleted my stamina at a rapid rate. I needed to get to Mephiles now if I had any hope of containing him.

"CHAOS CONTROL!"

My feet landed on the hard asphalt tiles of the skyscraper. Mephiles' fire was standing right in front of me, near a floating camera bot clearly constructed by the Doctor.

"_Ah, Shadow, just in time. Let me introduce you to your beloved Mobius." _

"Mephiles," I scream, "This ends now! You will not destroy this planet!"

"_No, not yet. First I must destroy you!" _

Mephiles balled his hands into fists, allowing the flame from his chest to ignite the rest of his body. His feet lifted from the floor as he flew towards me. I quickly tore off both shields to regain my power. The sudden surge of chaos energy coursed through my blood. Without hesitation I warped near the two chaos emeralds (luckily avoiding Mephiles' oncoming collision), asserting my power over them. I demanded the powers of chaos to ally in my favor. The emeralds needed guidance to my control.

I felt a shift in the atmosphere; the emeralds had recognized my authority. I felt their aid in the form of vast amounts of energy. Even without the seven, I felt my power growing infinitely stronger. My hands mirrored Mephiles' fists, filling with dark red matter. The emeralds floated above my body, signifying their allegiance. Mephiles turned around to face me, the disappointment clear in his eyes.

"_How unfortunate. I would have expected the emeralds to recognize a God when they see one. Pity they cannot protect you from the flames of disaster!" _

Mephiles launched a ball of flame from his fist, hitting my left arm. I cried out in pain as I felt this skin tighten around the burn. The dark red matter from my hands creeped up my arm to offer aid, numbing the burning skin.

"You once again fail to understand my world, Mephiles," I spoke through gritted teeth. The flames still licked at my wound. Luckily, my chaos matter worked to continuously numb the sensation. "The powers of Chaos do recognize true power, and that is me. CHAOS BLAST!"

I put my hands together quickly to guide the energy surge to Mephiles. I heard him scream in agony as the vivacity of chaos ripped apart his body.

"If I can give you form, I can take it away."

"_You… You will never contain me. I AM MEANT TO DESTROY YOU!" _Mephiles cried.

"I am Shadow, the Ultimate Life Form. Nothing can destroy me."

I warped back to where I had dropped the shields, keeping the chaos blast centered upon Mephiles. As the red matter pulled at the flames, I unlatched the metal bands. Without hesitation, I ran over to the ball of fire and flame. Seeing the balled fists, I coated my hands in chaos energy once more. The cloak of dark matter allowed me to clasp the metal rings together over Mephiles' wrists—forming a type of makeshift handcuffs. I pressed the sapphire buttons of both rings, causing the iridescent force to surround Mephiles' body. His form froze, floating in the air and unable to move. Hope's technology had contained him with the aid of my chaos power.

"_NO! What.. My power. MY POWER! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME?" _

"I'm sealing you once and for all, Mephiles. You will never return to this zone, this planet, or this universe ever again!"

The flames began to die down as the iridescent light encased Mephiles' body. The shields were working. We had won.

"Sonic! Shadow!" I heard Tails through my communicator. "The robots! The've all stopped functioning! We did it!"

"Guys," yelled Amy on the other end, "I found Doctor Eggman! He's really hurt. There's a lot of blood."

"Take him to the Tornado!" cried Sonic.

I smiled crookedly in satisfaction. After all the pain the Doctor had caused Sonic and his friends, they still would never leave him to die.

"It's time to end this, Mephiles." I said.

"_No, Shadow. If I go, you go." _

I felt my feet slowly leave the ground. I had not intended to float…

Except for there was no floor anymore. I was falling. Falling into the portal Mephiles had opened with the last ounce of his power. I quickly grasped for the edge of the building, for an emerald, anything. I scrambled to find something to hold, to prevent me from plunging into the unknown. Looking over my shoulder, I saw the handcuffs had transformed into a golden lock over an iridescent cage, just like Hope had designed. Mephiles' body was no longer a shape I could identify, but rather a mass of swirling colors and energy. Cutting off the chaos power had caused his form to disintegrate like she had planned. After one last attempt to keep myself on Mobius, I realized I had fallen too deep into the rabbit hole to come back.

Yet, my mind felt strangely at ease. Mephiles had been defeated. I was leaving Mobius. I hoped that without my presence, the planet would be granted some kind of absolution. It's own shield from the insanity my existence had caused. I closed my eyes and pictured Rouge, saying my final goodbyes in my mind.

"Maria, this is what you wanted? This is my promise I made to you."

I slowly drew breath let the feeling of falling take over me.


	14. Epilogue

I waited for what seemed like hours for the Tornado to land.

I needed to see him. After everything we had been through, after all this pain and suffering, we could finally have peace. We could be together.

I agonized throughout the night as the Commander demanded me to get some rest. How could I rest while he was out risking his life, without me? The nerve.

Slowly, the plane descended from the night sky and on to the the landing pad. I ran as fast as my feet could carry me.

The hatch door opened, revealing Tails and Amy carrying a large mass. Was that Doctor Eggman? They would never bring the Doctor into a G.U.N. base unless he was severely injured. I hoped he would recover. His crimes were heinous, but they did not deserve death at the hands of a lunatic. I seriously hoped that Mephiles had been sealed forever; no one possesses my body and gets away with it.

Sonic darted out of the plane to help Tails and Amy. He rapidly opened the door to the medical entrance, allowing the G.U.N. paramedics to get a stretcher for the Doctor. He shot me a look which turned my stomach upside down. I had seen that look before.

_"Where is Shadow?" _

_"…I'm sorry Rouge. He…he didn't make it." _

I sprinted closer to the Tornado, hoping I would see him climb out the hatch. Tears began to well up in my eyes; I felt my chest tighten with anxiety.

Knuckles walked slowly out of the plane, closing the door behind him. He gazed into my eyes, slowly shaking his head. I felt my knees collapse underneath me.

"No… no, please." I cried.

Knuckles came to my side and put his arm underneath mine, supporting my weight and preventing me from completely collapsing to the floor.

"I'm so sorry, Rouge. We, we don't know what happened."

I fought back tears with all of my might. I feebly managed to choke out a few words. "What do you mean?"

"Mephiles opened a portal after Shadow had sealed him. He…he just fell. And then the portal closed."

My mind fluttered with heartbreak and sadness. My rescuer, my best friend, gone.

But not forever, right? We had breached zones before. As long as there was a chance he was alive, I felt my heart remain in one piece. My body, however, did not display that sensation. I sank into a pool of tears, clutching Knuckles for support.

I cried until sunrise. Knuckles stayed with me, never saying a word. I grasped his hand, longing for the familiar warmth of Shadow's. Knucles caressed my palm with his thumb in the same way he had. It was…soothing. I thought of the last few hours I spent with Shadow, how stupid I had been for thinking we could be happy together. I would always worry for him, always fear for his life. And who was I to be with the ultimate life form? He deserved…._deserves _so much better.

My reverie was broken by a loud crash.

Knuckles and I briskly turned to face the base, seeing Sonic running wildly toward us. His eyes conveyed good news. Could it be about Shadow?

"Rouge. You are not going to believe who just showed up."

I gathered all my strength an ran towards the base, tears wildly streaming down my face. What did I expect? Would it really be him? My rescuer, returned once more?

I reached the room, and disappointment flooded into my heart.

"What do you want?" I managed to choke out.

Silver narrowed his eyes. Blaze placed a hand on his shoulder, signaling to him not to test me.

"I know we may not be who you expected, but we come bearing news," Silver glared at me. I could not decide if his look was comforting or menacing.

"Tell her what you told me," said Sonic excitedly.

Blaze gracefully sauntered over to me and leaned towards my ears. She quietly stated the only words that would keep my sanity in tact.

"He's alive."


End file.
